Eyes On Fire
by maevel
Summary: Fem!Percy/Apollo. Rachel Dare isn't the Oracle. Persephone Jackson, the daughter of Poseidon, is. And for the first time Apollo truly regrets that his Oracle has to stay a virgin forever, because all he ever wanted to do with Percy was throw her over his his shoulder and carry her to his bedroom. But well, maybe she can help him find a loophole. ON HIATUS.
1. They Met In December

**Title:** Eyes On Fire

 **Rating:** _T_ for now, later so changing into _M._

 **Warnings:** Smut (Graphic sex scenes), Coarse Language, Violence, Mature Themes.

 **Summary:** Fem!Percy/Apollo. "I'd rather be in Tartarus with you than in Elysium without you." Rachel Elizabeth Dare isn't the Oracle of Delphi. Persephone Jackson, the daughter of Poseidon, is. And for the first time of his life Apollo truly regrets that his Oracle has to remain a virgin forever, because all he ever wanted to do with Percy, since the time they met, was to throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his bedroom. But well, maybe she can help him find a loophole in those rules. M because of lemons, language, and all that stuff.

 **Genre:** Romance / Drama.

 **Author's Note:** So here it is. The story about Fem!Percy and Apollo that I've promised you. Oh my gosh, I hope you'll like it, because I've grown very fond of it. It's become like my personal baby to me, haha. I'm already a few chapters ahead, so I hope I'm able to update weekly for you. :) Also, you can see on my profile the links leading to the cover, the banner, and the polyvore site where I'll create Percy's outfits, what she's wearing and so on.

Just to sort out any misunderstandings: The first three chapters are going to involve the getting to know each better between Percy and Apollo, going through some important moments in the books so I can establish contact and feelings between them. And I'm going to stray away from canon every now and then, because after the first three chapters it's gonna be quite AU, I can tell you as much. And yes, Percy is sixteen by the time _The Titan's Curse_ is happening. That means that she was fourteen, not twelve, when she got into camp. This has a really simple reason: By the time she would get together with Apollo, she'd be sixteen. And I would not feel very comfortable when writing about a sixteen year old girl getting all sweaty and naughty with an Olympian god. So she's going to be eighteen when _The Last Olympian_ ends.

Well, I think that was pretty much my speech. **Please let me know what you think, okay?** Reviews feed my muse and inspiration, so updates could come even faster than first thought. Also, I apologize for every grammar and spelling mistakes, but English just isn't my native language.

* * *

 **EYES ON FIRE**

 **CHAPTER ONE  
**

they met in december  


* * *

 _blue jeans, white shirt_

 _walked into the room, you know i made your eyes burn_

 _i was like james dean, for sure_

 _i'm so fresh to death and sick as ca-ca-cancer_

 _i was sorta punk rock, you grew up on hip hop_

 _i fit you better than your favorite sweater_

 _you know that love is mean, love hurts_

 _but you still remember that day we met in december, oh baby_

– **requiem for blue jeans,** by bastille

* * *

sometime in the future

 **I** t was one of those nights when Apollo couldn't quite find himself to be able to rest. His gaze was on the ceiling above him while his mind was going haywire, thoughts he couldn't shut down circling around in his head. There were always times when he brooded on about the past and the future, which wasn't quite like him. But he thought it was probably due to him being also the God of prophecies. He just wasn't the guy for letting his head lead, he always trusted on his instincts and his heart.

 _Impulsive._

 _Hot-headed._

That was what people liked to call him.

With a sigh, he sat up in his bed, running a hand through his tousled hair. Of course, gods didn't need any sleep, though sometimes it was just calming to be swept away by it. After a while of sitting, Apollo finally stood up, stretching his muscular arms above his head as he stepped toward the large window that also worked as one of the four walls in the bedroom.

The night was warm and quiet, the sea that he saw through the window crashed its waves gently against the shore. He couldn't help but smile in wistfulness. The sea reminded him of a girl with long, dark hair and green-blue eyes that held the whole ocean within them. The girl that he met many, many years ago, the one who'd captured his heart inside the palms of her small hands from the very beginning. Apollo could still feel her, see her, hear, and taste her just by closing his eyes and picturing her in his mind.

So when he did exactly hat, Apollo not only saw her behind his closed lids again but he also remembered how everything started many, many years ago.

.

.

.

many, many years ago

 **I** f Apollo looked back on the elapsed millennia he'd lived through, he would see a lot of horrible and good moments, but the one he memorized the most was the moment he'd had the privilege to meet Persephone Jackson. It was in Winter 2007 when his sister had called him for help. He had already heard of Persephone Jackson, of course – the first and only daughter of Poseidon, the one who had retrieved Zeus's master bolt, the girl who had kicked Ares's ass and his pride, the demi-goddess who'd found the Golden Fleece to heal the camp while also bringing back Thalia Grace in the process of it. The girl had been one of the most discussed topics in Olympus for two years.

Apollo himself hadn't met her yet. There just had been no opportunity for it. But it didn't mean that he wasn't curious, because hell yes – he was curious as fuck for Persephone Jackson, the girl who had rattled Olympus pretty good. Everyone who managed to kick Ares's ass was awesome in Apollo's opinion. And then she shot across the god's sky for a third time in Winter of 2007 and this time she not only caught Apollo's attention once again – but held it as well.

As Apollo slowly lowered his sun chariot, which was currently in the model of red Maserati sports car, to the ground and immediately saw his sister with her hunters and a small group of demigods and a satyr, he couldn't help cocking his eyebrows slightly. His sister hadn't told him much when she called him – she had just ordered him to move his ass to her camp as fast as possible. He turned off the heat of his solar car, parking on the snowy grass. Once Apollo stepped out of the car, he noticed the perfect circle to which the snow had melted, revealing lush, green grass.

" _Wow,_ " he heard a female voice whispering in the background, " _Apollo is hot._ "

He smirked to himself. Of course, he had heard it. Sharp senses came along with being a god. He was able to hear every whispered word in the background, but the demigods didn't need to know that little piece of information. It was probably already more than enough for the poor, little things to be in the presence of two Olympians.

His sister was obviously not thrilled to see him again which Apollo honestly couldn't understand. She had called him of her own accord. He was fucking awesome. Naturally, Artemis was upset about the fact that he was calling her _little sister_ again. Apollo knew very well that he was younger than Artemis. She had been born first, but it was just too much fun watching her grimace and getting upset about it again and again – really, he wouldn't call her _little sister_ as often as he did if it didn't annoy her so much.

" _I need a favor,_ " Artemis said with gritted teeth. " _I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood._ "

Apollo narrowed his eyes, taking a deep breath without the demigods noticing it. It was true – the air stank of monster. Worry for his sister bubbled up in him; he was aware that Artemis could perfectly take care of herself, but she was still his sister. It didn't make him happy that she wanted to do the hunting all by herself. But he also didn't want to upset the demigods by showing his worry openly, so curled his lips into a blinding smile.

" _Sure, sis!_ " He raised his hands, snickering gleefully to himself as he heard the annoyed groans and sighs. " _I feel a haiku coming on._ "

" _Green grass breaks through snow._

 _Artemis pleads for my help._

 _I am so cool._ "

This one was probably his worst haiku. But Apollo had blown it on purpose, so it didn't really matter. By the Fates, he was the _god_ of poetry and he could create poems and haikus much better, but it was glorious to watch everyone around him becoming desperate and annoyed whenever he recited those silly, little haikus. As he'd said – he wouldn't do it so often if it didn't annoy everyone so strongly.

" _The last line was only four syllables,_ " Artemis rebuked him.

He pursed his lips, looking at his sister with amusement dancing in his eyes. He was very aware of the fact that the last line had been only four syllables, but he didn't have to let everyone know that, right? " _Was it?_ "

" _Yes, what about: I am so big-headed?_ "

" _No, no, that's six syllables,_ " Apollo grinned and quietly began muttering different adjectives to himself until he found a suitable one. " _I've got it! I am so awesome. That's five syllables!_ "

Artemis rolled her eyes and pointed toward the demigods who were standing in slight distance from the hunters. " _These demigods will also need a ride. Some of Chiron's campers._ "

" _No problem!_ " Apollo replied cheerfully, letting his gaze wander over the teens. The girl with the short, black hair and the leather jacket that was too large for her could be no other than Thalia Grace, Zeus' demigod daughter. Her shock blue eyes – like lightning in the night – were the exact copy of Zeus' eyes. " _Let's see ... Thalia, right? I've heard all about you._ "

Thalia blushed to the roots of her short, jet-black hair. " _Hi, Lord Apollo._ "

Apollo hid his amused smirk, knowing that she was the one who had whispered in surprise how hot he was. Not that he could blame her. He knew exactly what kind of effect he had on men and women.

" _Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half sister._ " He knew that was probably something she didn't want to hear from him. " _Used to be a tree, didn't you?_ " As he noticed that her expression darkened, he took pity on her. " _Glad you're back._ " It worked indeed. Her face seemed to brighten a little, and for a moment Apollo thought sadly about Daphne who had turned willingly into a tree to escape from him. " _I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time –_ "

" _Brother,_ " Artemis interrupted. Apollo threw her a quick glance, recognizing the silent warning in her eyes. She was right, now wasn't the time to talk about his former lovers. " _You should get going._ "

" _Oh, right._ "

His gaze wandered lazily, almost bored, from Thalia toward the other girl who was standing beside her. Apollo hadn't given her much attention since she'd held herself back quietly, but he knew right away who she was. Her eyes betrayed her, although she wasn't close to him, but again ... sharper senses with being a god and so on. Her eyes were Poseidon's, but the ocean in her orbs was ... more gentle, more vivid. Apollo wondered briefly if perhaps it was because her eyes were larger. It was certainly an intriguing play of colors that united fascinating sea green, deep ocean blue, and mysterious turquoise and black into one. It reminded him of a sensual game whose power he couldn't escape from. It got his heart racing.

" _Persephone Jackson?_ " Apollo asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

He noticed that Poseidon's daughter was softly blushing, but this time he didn't feel like smirking. She had something about her that he couldn't completely understand. Although she was only a sixteen year old girl, he couldn't properly read her. She was beautiful, that fact was undeniable – her long, dark hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, her pale skin and her delicate face with those big, deep eyes reminded him of a precious china doll. She was small and petite, about five feet, and Apollo wondered for a moment how the hell this tiny girl had managed to defeat the God of war.

" _Yeah, I mean ... yes, sir,_ " she said in obvious embarrassment. This time, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly upward. Her eyes were full of restrained curiosity which was directed at him.

" _Well!_ " Apollo exclaimed, averting his gaze from Persephone Jackson. It would probably look too conspicuous if he didn't take his eyes off her. " _We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way – west. And if you miss it, you miss it._ "

He couldn't help taking another look at her. She was whispering something to Zeus's daughter and didn't seem to be aware of his gaze. Apollo had no idea what the girl had about her, why she was fascinating him this much, but she was definitely going to fucking complicate his life.

.

.

.

The sun god was not at all what Percy had expected. She had expected someone who had an attitude like Zeus or Ares, but Apollo resembled neither. She also couldn't find any similar characteristics in behavior between him and her father. Apollo seemed to be a relaxed and easy-going guy, and she was surprised at how young he looked – probably in the beginning of his twenties. Though Percy knew, of course, that he was so much older than he appeared.

He was tall, probably about 6'2 if not even more, and hellishly built. His smile was crooked and playful, revealing his perfect white teeth. His eyes, the color of molten gold, held a spark that showed his good-natured humor. He had the chiseled facial features of a marble statue, but he was so much warmer than such a description. Percy caught herself thinking about running her hands through his tousled, golden-blond hair, only to find out if it was really as soft and thick as it appeared to be. His skin was sun-kissed, a golden tan that almost seemed to glow.

In other words – she saw at a glance that he was cocky, sexy as hell, and straight-up Trouble with a capital T. And she was suddenly very, very, very glad that she didn't accept Artemis's offer to join her.

" _Cool car!_ " Nico exclaimed, hopping from one foot to the other. He seemed to be the only one who still had enough energy to jump around like a kitten on caffeine.

" _Thanks, kid,_ " Apollo replied with a broad grin, proudly patting the hood of the sports car which actually was – still pretty hard to comprehend for Percy – the sun.

" _But how will we all fit?_ " She asked with a frown as she surveyed the Maserati that was, indeed, a two-seater. Apollo threw her a quick glance that had Percy biting her lower lip in nervousness. The sun god was hellishly handsome, that was true, but he had something about him that unsettled Percy deeply. The glance he had given her had been fleeting, but so incredibly intense that it felt as though a hot finger was being pressed against her cold skin.

Apollo scratched his head and sighed. " _Well, yeah, I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose ..._ " He took out his car keys and pressed a button. The car flickered a few times before it turned into a yellow school bus. " _Right, everybody in now!_ "

Cocking her eyebrows, Percy watched Zoë ordering the Hunters to get in. Apollo offered the hunter very flirtatious to help her with the loading of her things, causing her to draw back and glare at him furiously.

" _Brother,_ " Artemis said in warning, " _You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them_ sweetheart. _"_

Apollo held up his palms defensively. " _Sorry, I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?_ "

Percy had to suppress a small grin. Apollo seemed to be rather arrogant, it was undeniable, but he was quite amusing. And those haikus everyone else found so annoying ... she considered them to be pretty awesome – they were hilarious, at least. And she liked people who had humor. She grabbed her backpack which was filled with her weapons, making an effort at not batting an eyelash. Although she was able to carry heavier loads than normal mortals with being a demi-goddess and so on, she was already rather exhausted and the backpack seemed to be much heavier in her hands now.

"Let me get that, sweetheart," she heard Apollo's voice behind her.

Surprised, Percy turned around and saw that he was looking at her with a charming smile, pointing at her backpack. She tilted her head slightly, wondering briefly if she should really let him carry her backpack, but eventually she decided to do so.

"Sure," she said with a shrug, dropping the heavy backpack into his hands. Apollo didn't even bat an eyelash. He grabbed the backpack as though it was merely a feather. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly as she fought off a smile upon seeing a slight hint of surprise on his features. Apparently, he hadn't expected her to actually take his help.

She smiled, "Thanks."

"No problem, sweetheart."

And back was his charming, flirtatious smile, but his eyes still didn't lose their unreadable look. Apollo might seem like an easy-going guy; however, Percy realized that he wasn't easy to figure out. She watched as he said goodbye to Artemis, carried her backpack into the bus, and made his car keys reappear. They jingled loudly and clearly through the bus, causing the Hunters who had sat at the back of the bus to throw nasty looks at the sun god.

Percy pursed her lips as she noticed how Nico looked insecurely at Bianca who was sitting with the Hunters. She still wasn't able to understand how Bianca could just leave her younger brother like that. Percy would never, ever leave her family to join Artemis; above all, she didn't understand this decision because Bianca had learned about the gods only a few hours ago and had thought the idea of it to be ridiculous. Yet, shortly after that she had joined the Hunters, taking immortality without even properly thinking what it actually meant for her ...

 _Whatever,_ Percy sighed mentally. It wasn't up to her to judge the life-changing decision of a twelve year old girl.

" _So,_ " Apollo called through the bus, waving his car keys around his fingers, making everyone fall silent and turn to him, " _Who wants to drive?_ "

Percy perked her eyebrows – _he doesn't ... seriously?_ Apollo would allow one of them to take control of the sun? Thalia who sat beside her blanched a little; so fortunately it wasn't only Percy who thought that the idea of letting a teenager drive the sun chariot was a little irresponsible.

" _This is so cool!_ " Nico was practically jumping up and down in his seat. " _Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?_ "

" _Downsizing,_ " Apollo replied. " _The Romans started it._ " Percy tilted her head slightly as she noticed a dark shadow passing over his face at the mention of the Romans. " _They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car._ "

" _But how does it work?_ " Nico asked, practically hanging on Apollo's lips and eagerly soaking up every single piece of information. Percy thought it was rather cute. " _I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas?_ "

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. Percy had to admit that was cute, too. She didn't think that many gods would take the time and explain everything for a ten year old boy. " _That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun ... er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?_ "

" _No,_ " Nico said but to Percy the explanation made strangely a lot of sense.

She watched with a frown as Apollo chose someone for driving. Nico was too young, Grover was apparently too furry. Finally, his gaze remained hanging on her, and Percy made every effort not to show how nervous it was making her. But she returned his gaze, looking at him in question, not wanting that everyone in the bus noticed that the sudden sparkle in Apollo's eyes was doing weird things to her.

"Percy Jackson." A small smile appeared on his face. "Became sixteen years old four months ago. Perfect age to finally learn driving, I'd say."

It bewildered her that he knew when she had her birthday, but the shock that his other words had caused was larger. Apollo wanted her to drive his chariot? Was he nuts?

"W-What?" She stuttered in horror. "No, I won't – I mean, I can't drive."

"Care to explain why?" Apollo raised his eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure you've already tried driving several times and found that it's not as hard as it looks."

She didn't want to admit that he'd hit the bull's eye with his words. His eye became more intense as he challenged her with his gaze to accept the offer. Her eyes involuntarily wandered over his chiseled face, his perfectly cut jaw, and his sensuous lips. Over his strong, golden neck and his broad shoulders that filled out his white tee pretty damn good. Slightly blushing, Percy turned her gaze away as she realized that she just had checked him out.

If Apollo had noticed, he at least didn't let it show.

"C'mon, sweetheart," he challenged her. "It's not as bad as you think. Zeus wouldn't dare to shoot the sun chariot from the sky; especially when his daughter's sitting in it." He briefly indicated in Thalia's direction.

When she turned her gaze back to him, he jingled his keys, studying her with a little smirk on his handsome face. Undecided, Percy glanced at her friends. Thalia shrugged innocently, Grover stared at her in worry, and Nico looked as though he would jump out of his seat and run to the driver's one at any time. The Hunters were talking in lowered voices in the back of the bus, occasionally throwing nasty looks at Percy. She assumed they still weren't over the fact that she didn't accept Artemis's offer to join them.

But how could she have done that? Camp Half-Blood had become a second home to her, the safest place in the world for people like her. Her friends were there and she wouldn't leave them for nothing in this world. Nor could she ever leave her mother and Paul behind. And besides ... Percy was already sixteen. She knew what she wanted to have someday. A real relationship, marriage, children – she wanted it all. Her mother had always told her about how wonderful it felt to fall in love, to love another person truly and sincerely, and Percy didn't want to miss that out by joining the Hunters.

"Okay," she finally said, already knowing that she would regret this decision. "All right, I'll drive." The smirk on Apollo's face grew bigger, but before he could say anything, Percy said, "But please assure me that you won't smite me if I accidentally smash your car, Lord Apollo."

He laughed in amusement and she couldn't help smiling as she heard the sound. Apollo had a really nice laugh, she had to admit that – velvety, deep, pleasant. It rested deep in his throat and as the guttural sound escaped his lips, it brought a smile to her face and goose bumps onto her skin. "Don't worry, sweetheart," he smiled, amused, "Nothing's gonna happen. I'll watch out and take directly action if something goes wrong."

"Okay," Percy said again, allowing Apollo to lead her toward the driver's seat. As he handed the keys to her, she couldn't avoid brushing his hand with hers. The tiny hairs on her body immediately stood on end at the light contact. It felt as though she had been statically charged, the back of her hand slightly tingling. The tingle shot straight through her body and nestled deep into her stomach. Percy cleared her throat awkwardly, trying to calm her racing heart. Her stomach had virtually tensed with nervousness.

As she threw a quick glance at Apollo, she noticed that he was staring at her with a deep frown. However, once he saw her looking at him, the unreadable expression in his eyes disappeared, making place for the good-natured sparkle she had seen earlier.

" _Take it away!_ " He called out exuberantly. " _You're gonna be a natural, sweetheart._ "

Percy stuck the car key into the ignition lock, clutching the wheel with both hands as the engine started with a loud hum. "So," she said nervously, her voice slightly trembling, "Is there something important I need to know? Like speed equals heat or something?"

"Ah, beauty _and_ brains, sweetheart. I like that about women," Apollo grinned charmingly, making Percy blush and avoid eye contact with him. Was it really necessary for him to say things like that when everyone else was able to hear him? When she sat behind the wheel, already more than nervous enough? The flapping of butterfly wings in her stomach became wilder. "But you're right. _Speed equals heat. So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up._ "

Percy slowly moved the wheel. The bus lifted slightly jittery from the ground, rising into the air.

"A little slower, sweetheart," Apollo said, checking through the window if the things looked all right. So far everything seemed to have remained intact. "It's a good start, a bit jerky though. Now lighten up a little on the accelerator, dear."

She followed his command, slightly loosening her foot on the accelerator. A glance into the rearview mirror showed her that everyone was still in their seats, watching through the windows as she drove the sun chariot a little higher. Percy exhaled in relief and relaxed her grip on the wheel. At least she didn't hurt or burn down anyone and anything.

" _We need to veer south for Long Island,_ " Apollo noted. " _Hang a left._ "

"Okay," Percy muttered, slowly turning the wheel in the predetermined direction. The car followed her command easily, turning, though a bit jerky, the other way around. Her gut told her that she had driven too high, so she lowered the sun chariot a little.

Apollo hummed in satisfaction. "You're doing fine, sweetheart. I told ya – you're a natural!"

She laughed a little nervously, but didn't dare to look at him. "Thanks."

And then he stared at her. He simply stared at her. He didn't do anything else, he just kept his eyes on her face profile the whole time, and it made Percy nervous as hell, causing her to accidentally drive a little lower. Apollo didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was staring at her so openly. His gaze slid over her face profile, over her jawline. A quick glance in the rearview mirror proved her that everyone was quietly chatting, not noticing what was happening at the driver's seat.

" _There._ " Apollo looked away from her and pointed through the window. " _Long Island, dead ahead. Slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression._ "

Finally Percy was able to see Camp Half-Blood; the valley, the woods, the beach. She could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater. They were only a few hundred yards away now. When Apollo ordered, "Brake", Percy braced her foot lightly on the brake. The sun bus sank deeper and deeper until it came a little jittery to a stop next to the camp's canoe lake. She saw through the windows that a few curious naiads came swimming toward the bus.

Percy exhaled in relief as she let go of the wheel and leant back against the seat, recovering from the ride. She watched through the rearview mirror how the others jumped out of their seats, taking their bags as they left the sun chariot. Feeling uneasy, she turned to Apollo who had a crooked smile on his face.

"There we go!" He said exuberantly, his crooked smile making her blush in embarrassment. "It went off awesome."

When Percy took her backpack and got off the bus behind the others, she stopped in surprise, staring dumbfounded at what was in front of her. Snow was everywhere. She hadn't noticed it earlier in the bus. She'd never seen Camp Half-Blood in winter before, and the snow surprised her. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods, and weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House where the Oracle dwelt.

" _Whoa!_ " Nico called out as he got off the bus. His black jacket was too large for him, virtually covering his slight body. Percy turned her gaze away from the beautiful view and grinned at Nico who was marveling at everything with wide eyes. " _Is that a climbing wall?_ "

" _Yep,_ " Percy said smiling.

" _Why is there lava pouring down it?_ "

" _Little extra challenge. Come on, I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoë, have you met –"_

The hunter threw Percy a disdainful look. " _I know Chiron. Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me!_ "

Percy raised her eyebrows upon hearing the hostility in the hunter's voice. Grinning in amusement, she watched as Grover demanded stammering to show them the way to Cabin Eight while practically jumping around them and stumbling over a few canoes every now and then. Sighing, Percy returned her gaze to the peaceful, snowy view the camp offered her. It was beautiful here even in summer, but now in winter it was just breathtaking.

"Beautiful sight, isn't it?"

Surprised, Percy looked to her right, seeing that Apollo had stepped next to her.

The sun god didn't seemed to freeze at all in his white shirt and his jeans, but it didn't bewilder her, because ... well, he was the sun god. He shone out with his golden skin and his golden hair in all the white around him. And she had to admit his face profile was gorgeous. High, prominent cheekbones, strong jaw, straight nose, chiseled facial features. Her eyes wandered quickly over his strong, tanned arms. She turned her gaze away in embarrassment as she found herself imagining how perfectly lean and muscled he had to be under his clothes.

"Yeah," she answered, clearing her throat, "It's truly a wonderful sight, sir."

"I mean, I'm all for summer and sun," he said calmly. "But I can definitely appreciate the beauty of winter."

Percy just smiled, not really sure how to respond to that. Apollo turned his head slightly to her, again gazing at her with an unreadable look in his eyes, and said, "I always appreciate beauty when I see it."

There seemed to be an important meaning in his words and Percy felt her stomach tensing further with nervousness. Her smile slipped a little. He had beautiful eyes, she couldn't deny it. They were the color of molten gold. So intense and blazing like the flames of the sun, but yet so warm like a fire on a snowy winter day. She couldn't decide whether to feel relieved or disappointed when Apollo turned away to speak to the Hunters and her friends.

" _Take care, ladies!_ " He called after the Hunters, ruffled Nico's hair one last time, and jumped into the bus. As he looked back, catching Percy's gaze, he winked mischievously at her. " _Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon._ "

Before Percy had the chance to ask what he meant by that, he had already closed the doors and revved the engine. She turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When she looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

.

.

.

If Apollo was absolutely sure about one thing concerning Persephone Jackson, then it was this one – she was beautiful. As a male God, especially as one who had seen more than enough beautiful women and men in the last millennia and shared his bed with even more of them, he couldn't help but notice that Persephone Jackson was an incredibly beautiful girl. He knew that – when she'd be a little older, when she would become fully a woman – she would be even more gorgeous. He remembered her long, dark hair that had been pulled back into a messy ponytail, her milky-white skin, her soulful, big eyes where an ocean full of secrets, mysteries, and dangers had found its rightful place.

He didn't regret that he had allowed her to drive his sun chariot. To be completely honest, he had been even surprised at how well she had managed the job, how focused and determined she had been. Apollo had to admit that he'd found it pretty damn hot seeing her behind the wheel. He could only imagine now how much fucking sexier she would have looked if they had been in the Maserati.

As he teleported beside her in the passenger seat in the Lamborghini, he found her with her head leaning against the window. Her breath was painting little clouds on the fogged glass. She had tucked her legs up, her knees pressed firmly against the wheel. Apollo was aware that Grover, the little satyr, was sleeping peacefully behind them, but his attention was firmly focused on Poseidon's daughter. Her eyes were repeatedly falling closed and every time Percy forced herself to keep them open. She didn't want to fall asleep. Apollo had a strong feeling that she was afraid of nightmares. He wanted to see inside her head so badly, catching a glimpse of her thoughts, but something kept him from invading her privacy in such a manner.

" _Oh, don't be afraid of dreams,_ " he said calmly, finally making his presence felt.

Percy jumped slightly in her seat, turning her head to him. He had to admit that he was a little surprised when he didn't find any astonishment in her expression at seeing him there. Even though he was currently in the form of an old man. Dark circles were visible under her eyes, but even now they shone as brightly and vividly as ever. Sea green mingled with oceanic blue and he could detect small speckles of turquoise and black around her pupils. The look in her orbs was calm and quiet, but beneath the façade something was seething – like the sea on a gloomy, gray day when a storm was predicted for later. Long, dark lashes framed her eyes, casting crescent-shaped shadows on her cheekbones whenever she was blinking. Her hair was incredibly dark; a deep black which reminded him of spilled ink. They were pulled back into a sloppy braid with some wavy strands of hair coming loose, falling around her delicate face.

She was irresistible in a way he'd never felt before. Her draw was so intense that he noticed every detail – every scar, every mole, the delicate curve of her jawline, and the way her pulse thumped beneath the tender skin of her neck. He could see her right collarbone disappearing into her sweater, her slender, pale neck, and her plump lips that were slightly agape.

" _If it weren't for dreams,_ " Apollo continued, " _I wouldn't know half the things I know about the future. They're better than Olympus tabloids._ "

Before she could say anything, he cleared his throat and held up his hands in a dramatic gesture.

" _Dreams like a podcast,_

 _Downloading truth in my ears._

 _They tell me cool stuff._ "

Percy raised her eyebrows, her plump lips curling up into an impish smile. She had an incredibly beautiful face, but when she smiled that mischievous smile with small wrinkles rippling around her eyes, she was stunning. Her whole face seemed to lighten, and her eyes became even warmer than they were usually.

" _Lord Apollo?_ "

It sounded more like a statement than a question.

It was probably the first time that a person didn't react in annoyance to his haikus. Normally, everyone around him groaned in desperation whenever he held up his palms in warning, his sign for an upcoming haiku. Percy, however, was different. She even seemed to be cheered up.

Apollo put his index finger to his lips, winking mischievously at her. " _I'm incognito. Call me Fred._ "

The smile on her face became broader, her eyes brighter. They were more dark than light, but something behind them made them incredibly vivid and expressive. Apollo exhaled deeply as he felt his heart skipping a few beats, then starting to thump faster than before. Something about her expression caught him right in the gut – perhaps it was her eyes. Perhaps it was her smile.

" _A god named Fred?_ " Her words were not malicious, not even mocking, rather good-natured and teasing.

" _Eh, well ... Zeus insists on certain rules. Hands off when there's a human quest. Even when something really major is wrong. But nobody messes with my baby sister. Nobody._ "

The smile slipped from her face, making room for a thoughtful expression directed at him. Her piercing, vivid eyes suddenly bore into his with a strong intensity and Apollo felt a little stunned that she actually had the courage to establish eye contact that strong with him. The way she looked at him ... it wasn't just that she felt the attraction between them, because he knew she did. It was that ... he felt she might see him, too. Beneath the layers.

"You really care about your sister, don't you, sir?"

His expression darkened as he frowned, for a moment feeling disbelief and anger that she dared to ask him such a personal question. "How exactly am I to understand this question, Percy?"

He heard that his voice had become sharper, harsher. Percy obviously noticed it as well as she broke the eye contact with him, turning her head away. "I'm sorry, Lord Apollo, I didn't mean to offend you. The question just ... came all of a sudden." She took a deep breath and wearily ran her hand over her face before she slightly turned her head toward him again. " _Can you help us, then?_ "

" _Shhh. I already have. Haven't you been looking outside?_ "

He felt a little put out that she apparently hadn't noticed the assistance he had provided her. As she turned her head to look through the window, she revealed the long, graceful column of her neck to him that he couldn't help but stare at mesmerized before he shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. It almost annoyed him that he was behaving like a mortal teenager whenever he got a seductive glimpse of her skin.

" _The train,_ " she said, " _How fast are moving?_ "

Apollo suppressed his chuckle as he heard the sudden eagerness in her voice and saw the expectation in her expression. A shaft of sunlight moved briefly over her face, lighting her mesmerizing eyes in a clear, radiant mix of sapphire blue and emerald green. Little hints of auburn and golden-browns were revealed in her hair under his sun.

" _Fast enough,_ " he said and didn't even bother to hide his fascination for her. " _Unfortunately, we're running out of time. It's almost sunset. But I imagine we'll get you across a good chunk of America, at least._ "

" _But where is Artemis?_ "

His face darkened again. He had no answer to this question, because he didn't know it himself, and he said as much to Percy who slightly tilted her head to one side. " _And Annabeth?_ "

" _Oh, you mean that girl you lost? Hmm, I don't know._ "

Anger flashed across her face for a moment, but she pulled herself together relatively quickly. Apollo had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from raising his voice against her, but ... he didn't think that she deserved it. When she asked about the monster, Apollo started feeling useless, because again he didn't know the answer, but then he remembered something that maybe could be of use to her.

" _If you haven't found the monster when you reach San Francisco, seek out Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. He has a long memory and a sharp eye. He has the gift of knowledge sometimes kept obscure from my Oracle._ "

Percy blinked in confusion, furrowing her dark brows. " _But it's_ your _Oracle. Can't you tell us what the prophecy means?_ "

" _You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem,_ " Apollo sighed. " _It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear through the search._ "

There was a moment of silence between them. Her gaze was directed at him suspiciously. As she slightly tilted her head to one side, a sly look appeared in her eyes, the corners of her mouth raising into a wry smile. " _In other words, you don't know._ "

Apollo tried to shift the focus from her statement. Somehow it felt like a weakness that he didn't have half as much control over the Oracle as everyone else perhaps thought. " _I have to run now. I doubt I can risk helping you again, Percy, but remember what I said! Get some sleep! And when you return, I expect a good haiku about your journey!_ "

Fire blazed up in her captivating eyes, but after a click of his fingers she slumped into a deep sleep.

Another click, and he was gone.

.

.

.

As great and magnificent the celebration, which took place for her and her friend's honor, in Olympus was, Percy felt too tired and exhausted to be able to enjoy it properly. She wanted to go home to see her mother, take a long shower, and then fall into her bed to sleep for hours. The Muses were playing beautiful melodies and sang like sirens, and the food was beyond delicious, but she just wasn't in the mood for partying. Too many things were circling around in her head, taking up her thoughts.

She had managed to save Artemis. Had managed to get Atlas under the weight of the sky again. By Tartarus, she had carried the sky's weight all by herself. The single streak of gray in her dark hair proved it more than enough. But Zoë had died and that depressed Percy more than she would ever admit. She had grown fond of the grumpy hunter in the course of their quest. At the end, she had even thought they could become proper friends. But nothing would come of it now.

And Zoë wasn't the only one who had given her life. Bianca was gone, too. Whenever Percy closed her eyes, she still could still see Bianca running toward Hephaestus's machine without even thinking properly that she was sacrificing her life. Gods, how was she supposed to tell Nico? She had promised him that she'd take care of his sister, after all.

Sighing, Percy put her wine goblet onto the tray of a passing nymph. Actually, she wasn't allowed to drink alcohol since she was still underage, but Mr D had come to her earlier and practically forced her by threatening her with three months of kitchen duty in camp if she wouldn't drink a little wine for him. Just to console him over the fact that he couldn't take a taste of his precious red wine. Percy had simply rolled her eyes at that, accepting the goblet Dionysus had been holding toward her. She would bet a lot on the fact that Dionysus had only wanted to see her getting drunk in the throne room.

 _Nope, won't happen._ She wasn't stupid enough to drink more than a few sips of the wine.

Well, at least the Olympians had chosen to let her, her friends, and Bessie live. The latter was currently swimming around in the aquarium her father had made appear as a workaround, mooing loudly through the throne room which brought her some amused looks. Percy smiled sadly at Bessie before she turned around, wanting to disappear as unobtrusive as possible. Her father had already talked to her. She couldn't imagine that anyone else would like to speak to her.

Just before she could actually leave the throne room, she heard someone calling her name, "Percy!"

It bothered her that she was able to recognize the voice in an instant. It was deep and velvety with a pleasant, husky timbre – a singer's voice, no doubt. Percy knew immediately who was behind her before she could turn around completely. Apollo was leisurely coming toward her. His gait was relaxed, easy but at the same time also proud and smooth. Bigger than life, like seeing a movie star in person, his charisma was staggering. He had an aura of pure, raw strength, every inch of him lean and muscled, which gave off the impression of being a man, but with a charming playfulness in his expression that made him look young and vibrant.

He was wearing his toga which revealed some hints of his muscular, golden body, his bow and quiver fastened on his back. A few strands of his fair, thick hair fell over his forehead, his golden eyes were as intense and flaming as ever.

 _Oh gods,_ Percy thought involuntarily, _this guy seriously belongs on the cover of 'World's Sexiest Reasons to Drop Your Panties'._

"Lord Apollo," she said, surprised, feeling her cheeks beginning to burn as she noticed that she hadn't been able to hide the nervous tone in her voice. "What can I do for you?"

He came to a stop before her, not close enough that it would be considered inappropriate but still so close that she was able to feel the heat rolling off him in waves. Something clenched deep in her abdomen, making her blush even more. "I came to thank you, Percy," he said, his voice sincere. "For saving my sister. Even though it has cost you a lot."

Feeling a little surprised, she stared at him and swallowed hard, moistening her dry throat. She knew that he cared. She had already realized in the Lamborghini, when he had appeared beside her in the disguise of a homeless man, how much his twin sister meant to him. Luke perhaps might be right with his statement that the Olympians didn't care when it concerned a few other gods, but Apollo wasn't one of them. Percy had figured that much. He cared about his sister and even went against his father's rules to help her in her search for Artemis.

"Er, yeah ..." Percy said awkwardly, brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear in embarrassment, "You're welcome."

Apollo said nothing then. He just looked at her. And Percy looked back, trying not to let show anything of her anxiousness, trying to play it cool, but fuck ... his eyes made it pretty difficult for her to act cool. She didn't know if he was able to feel it, this ... _thing_ – buzz, crackle, fizz, hum. Whatever it was, it was there in all its confusing glory, flickering between them like bees around honey and stinging the skin in a way that was, for Percy, altogether too pleasurable. Eventually, she averted her eyes when it became too intense, too much, and used the excuse of clearing her throat while she gathered her wits from around her fucking ankles.

Percy was very well aware of the fact how she was looking right now. She was still wearing her gray sweatshirt, dark skinny jeans, and her black leather boots, and her hair which she had pulled into a messy knot was greasy and unwashed, her clothes dirty. She couldn't picture that she made an attractive figure in this state, but how could she know that Apollo was thinking she had never looked any more beautiful than she did now?

"Oh!" Percy broke the tension filled silence as she happily remembered about something she had wanted to give him. "Before I completely forget it – I've got something for you, Lord Apollo."

She took out a folded piece of paper from the back pocket of her jeans, unfolding it hectically before she nervously handed it over to Apollo. "I mean, you wanted me to do one, after all ... and uh, it's probably not really good, but you, well, asked for one."

As Apollo grabbed the note with a vague suspicion in the back of his head, their hands brushed slightly against each other. This time, the contact was even more intense than it was when they had been in his chariot. It felt as though he was charged with static energy, the tingling sensation shooting across her skin and straight into her core. She lifted her head in confusion, seeing that Apollo looked at her with an unreadable expression, almost seeming bewildered as well. When he finally looked down at the piece of paper, reading the words as though he was a dry sponge soaking up the letters as if it was water, an incredulous grin appeared on his face.

 _Apollo helps me_

 _He lets me drive his cool car_

 _Thanks for your help, Fred_

"You really ..." he said, blinking in astonishment, "You've really written a haiku."

Percy bit her lower lip, feeling a little unsure now that he'd read it. "Well, you said you'd expect one from me, and I tried to make something out of it. It's horrible, isn't it?"

"The haiku's just fine, Percy," Apollo assured her with a smile, still not really believing that she'd actually written him one. "You know, I was just –"

"You were just kidding when you said that you'd expect a haiku from me, I know," Percy interrupted him, immediately wondering if that was very rude of her. Interrupting him like that. He was a ticking bomb, like all the other gods, and she would never know when it was too much. "But nevertheless, you have asked ... and yeah ..."

She let her words fade away, brushing some loose strands of hair behind her ears. As she lifted her head, she saw that Apollo was staring at her with that expression in his eyes she couldn't name or read. And it was hard to breathe when the intensity in his gaze became so hot that it threatened to burn her skin in a way she would gladly enjoy. It felt as though a hot finger was being pressed against her tender skin and the sensation of it was thrilling and frightening at the same time. He had that magnetic energy that made her feel anxious and excited all at once.

"Well ... I have to go now," Percy said softly, burying her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, because otherwise she didn't know what to do with them, how to hold them. "My mother's surely already waiting for me. I don't want her to be even more worried if I don't show up at home soon."

Apollo nodded slowly, a little smile showing up on his face. He had dimples when he smiled and Percy couldn't help staring at them, because they got her heart racing faster than ever before. "Well then, have a good night, Percy. I'm sure we'll meet again soon."

"Thanks," she said softly, feeling a little disappointed when his dimples disappeared, "I'm sure we will."

And as she turned and left the throne room, Apollo stared after her until she disappeared wholly from his sight. Then he looked again at the piece of paper in his hands, reading the haiku once again. He ran a hand through his hair as a soft chuckle left him. It had been so long that a mortal managed to surprise him this much. And he had the vague suspect that it wouldn't be the only and last time. Persephone Jackson was definitely going to complicate his life and he couldn't be more excited about it.

He was definitely going to see her again soon.


	2. A Train To Nowhere

**Title:** Eyes On Fire

 **Rating: M**

 **Warnings:** Smut (Graphic sex scenes), Coarse Language, Violence, Mature Themes.

 **Summary:** Fem!Percy/Apollo. _"I'd rather be in Tartarus with you than in Elysium without you."_ Rachel Elizabeth Dare isn't the Oracle of Delphi. Persephone Jackson, the daughter of Poseidon, is. And for the first time Apollo truly regrets that his Oracle has to remain a virgin forever, because all he ever wanted to do with Percy, since the time they met, was throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his bedroom. But well, maybe she can help him find a loophole in those rules.

 **Genre:** Romance / Drama.

 **Author's Note:** On my profile, you can find the links leading to the story's cover and banner, and the polyvore site where I create Percy's outfits, what she's wearing and so on. Have fun reading, guys! Please let me know what you think about it, okay? Reviews feed my muse and inspiration, so updates could come even faster. Also, I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes, but English just isn't my native language!

* * *

 **EYES ON FIRE**

 **CHAPTER TWO**

a train to nowhere  


* * *

 _earthquake girl, we 'bout to shake ground now_

 _and i've been on the road, met a lot of girls but i met the wrong kind_

 _was looking for a muse, i think i found that shit in you_

 _it's been a long time_

 _i thought i'd never change, was a slave to the game in the wrong mind_

 _was looking for the truth, then i found that shit in you_

 _i was so blind_

– **bless me,** by 6lack

* * *

one year ago

 **A** pollo hadn't been kidding when he had promised to himself that he would see her again soon. The problem, however, was that he had to make it look inconspicuous. His family couldn't know that he would secretly visit Persephone Jackson. It wasn't easy to hide such thing from them; after all, they were strictly forbidden from interfering into the lives of demigods. But damn, Apollo wanted nothing more than to interfere in Percy's life. So he waited for the perfect moment for seeing her again. Several months passed and she didn't appear on the scene to rattle Olympus one more time. For all he knew, she was at home with her mother at that time, down in Manhattan.

And while he waited for the perfect moment to see her again, he mused about what kind of connection they had exactly. He couldn't deny that there was something between them. He felt it in every movement, felt it in each of his breaths when he thought about her – and he had to admit that was often. Whether he liked it or not; Percy had seized his thoughts all to herself. Apollo knew why only an innocent physical contact made him feel as though he would burst into flames. Hot, passionate flames that felt too good to be true. Apollo also knew why the sound of her voice soothed him in an instant. At first, it was only a vague suspicion, but eventually he was able to admit that he had feelings for Persephone Jackson.

It wasn't just lust, desire, hunger for her – hot, blinding lust that drove him fucking crazy. He was immediately hard when he only thought of her entrancing eyes or her smile; or her plump, pink lips. He desired her, that much was clear to him and he wouldn't deny or fight it, but it was something else, too. And Apollo knew that you didn't have to know a person for long to fall for them. He wasn't the type of man to deny the truth when it was clearly so obvious. And he was damn curious about Percy. He wanted to get to know her better.

The perfect moment to see her again came when June dawned. Poseidon had mentioned something about Liliana having changed schools at the last council meeting. Apollo recognized that opportunity when he realized that, on this day, all gods were rather busy with their duties, giving him little attention. It _was_ truly the perfect moment. And once Apollo had driven his chariot into the sky, setting it on autopilot, he closed his eyes and tried to discern the essence of Persephone Jackson down in Manhattan.

He found her immediately; she was practically shining for him.

He materialized in an empty classroom, apparently in Goode High School. From outside he didn't hear a single noise which made him conclude that the lessons were currently going on. However, as he appeared in that empty classroom, he saw her instantly. Apollo raised his eyebrows as he saw that Percy was standing on a table. She had the pen that he knew could transform into her sword clamped between her lips while she was removing the ventilation shaft's cover at the ceiling.

Apollo leaned against one of the tables, folding his arms across his chest, his eyes level with the back of her calves. He couldn't help but lick his lips at the sight of the soft, creamy skin. His gaze wandered from her pale, curved calves over her knees to her smooth, milky-white thighs. His hands twitched slightly as he wanted nothing more than to run his palms over the top of her sexy thighs, then lower his lips onto them to taste her skin. His eyes glided further. She was wearing a short, dark red pleated skirt, and a black top that she had thrown a short denim jacket over. She had it all paired with black leather boots.

Clearing his throat, Apollo made himself present.

Her reaction wasn't what he had expected.

Percy jumped with fright and turned around so fast that a human eye wouldn't have captured it in time. A human eye wouldn't have captured her pulling the cap of her pen, transforming it into a sword. A human eye also wouldn't have captured the speed she was holding the sword at his throat with.

Cocking his eyebrows, Apollo looked down at the blade pressed against his throat. He could have easily dodged her and knock the sword out of her grip, but he also knew that she couldn't seriously harm him. In addition, it was quite exciting – and somewhat sexy – seeing her battlefield instincts come to life. "Take it easy, sweetheart," he said in amusement, turning his gaze from the blade toward her face. Her eyes were wide with horror.

With a small smirk on his face, he watched her as she blushed and lowered her sword.

"Lord Apollo," she said in dismay, "Jeez, you scared me to death!"

"Well, you seem so pleased to see me, Percy," Apollo chuckled, pointing at her drawn sword, smirking inwardly when the redness of her cheeks became more prominent, spreading down on her neck and chest.

 _Mhm, I wonder if she blushes like that when brought to the brink of orgasm ..._

Apollo shook his head slightly to clear his mind. Now certainly wasn't the time to think about how she would look splayed across his sheets.

She transformed the sword back to its pen-style, blinking at him in embarrassment. "Er, yeah ... for that matter ... I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here, Lord Apollo."

He stopped her with a wave of his hand, trying to cover up the fact that he liked the sound of his name on her plump, pink lips. "It's okay, sweetheart," he said calmly and lowered his gaze curiously to the ventilation shaft's cover she had previously removed, now holding it awkwardly. "What exactly have you planned on doing with the ventilation shaft?"

Percy looked at the cover in surprise, as though now remembering what she did earlier. She turned her gaze back to Apollo who was watching her with a small smile. He had to admit that she was fucking adorable standing on the table with the ventilation shaft's cover tightly gripped in her hands, still completely surprised by his sudden appearance, and with reddened cheeks.

"Shouldn't _I_ ask what exactly you are doing here, Lord Apollo?" She asked in amusement, cocking her eyebrows. Something flashed across her oceanic eyes, a smoldered fire he hadn't known existed. Apollo had to admit that he was surprised by her question, surprised upon hearing the sass in her voice.

His dazzling smile grew bigger. "Ah, but, sweetheart, I asked first."

For a moment, Percy remained still, staring at him with cocked eyebrows before a smile spread across her face, and she looked away from him. Apollo didn't know what to stare at first – her gorgeous smile or her skirt that brushed against her creamy thighs at every little movement. He ultimately chose her smile.

"I'm busy going after two Empousi who are posing as cheerleaders. I have to take advantage of a surprise effect if I want to get them," she said with a sigh. "Now you, Lord Apollo – what brings you here?"

He frowned deeply, letting his gaze slide quickly over her body. She was so small and delicate ... would a tiny girl like her really manage to take on two Empousi? Something churned in Apollo; something he had previously felt only for his sister, his mother, and his children – worry. He was fucking worried for Persephone Jackson. He'd met her just recently and it would be unfortunate if she were killed by two Empousi. For a moment, he actually thought about offering her his help. So that he could protect her if it would become necessary. However, he dismissed that idea quickly. He was already risking a lot by showing up here ... helping her with a hunting would be practically suicidal.

"I was just walking by," Apollo said calmly, running a hand through his thick hair before crossing his arms over his chest again. "And decided to look what's going on in this school."

Percy only raised her eyebrows, giving him a dry look. He could see that she wasn't convinced at all, but she didn't harp on about it.

"You can take the Empousi?" He asked, trying to make his voice sound indifferent.

She looked at him as though almost offended. "Of course."

"Well then," he said with a nod as his charming, boyish smile disappeared, giving away a serious expression, "Good luck, Percy."

There was silence between them for a moment. She tilted her head slightly which – as he had noticed – she always did when she was skeptical about something, looking at him with such sharpness that it almost took his breath away. They both didn't say anything, and Apollo felt the tension between them again in that moment. But it wasn't bad tension. He'd say that it ... sparked. And not just teeny little sparks. The air between them was humming, crackling, seeming to be charged by a magnificent electricity that always occurred when they locked eyes.

The silence was broken by Percy as she softly said, "Thanks."

She gave him a little smile which he returned with a slow nod, watching as she stuck her pen back in between her lips, dragging herself up on the ventilation shaft to heft her body into it.

He had to admit that he found it sexy. No matter how small and fragile she might look ... she was damn strong.

.

.

.

It was official.

Apollo was really out to be caught with paying Persephone Jackson occasional visits. A week ago, when he appeared in Goode High School to see her, he'd thought about how suicidal it would be. But honestly, Apollo didn't really care. He had never been someone to always stick to his father's rules. And as he slowly drove the sun through the sky a week later, seeing from above that Percy walked into a café in a secluded part of Brooklyn, he couldn't resist the temptation.

He wanted to see her again, there was no need for him to deny it.

After turning the sun chariot on autopilot, he teleported out of the car, and on the streets of Brooklyn. The mortals didn't react to his sudden appearance; the mist made it look as though he had merely stepped out of an alley, not out of fucking nowhere. It didn't take him long to find the café that Percy had entered earlier. It was located in a quiet little area, and as soon as he walked in with the faint sound of bells tinkling above the door, a bittersweet scent with a vague hint of caramel and cinnamon reached his nostrils. The café was small, and very bright due to some tall windows, the décor very simple and tasteful simultaneously – a lot of the interior furnishing in white and beige shades.

Apollo found Percy immediately. Apart from her, only two elder ladies sat with coffee and cake at a table in a near corner. As he walked closer toward Percy's table, he couldn't help but let his gaze wander over her. She was dressed in a black, long-sleeved, low-cut blouse with some lace at the neckline and shoulders, and dark skinny jeans that were clinging to her slim legs. She had paired her outfit with black ankle boots that had a flat sole. Apollo was surprised to find that she was wearing some modest jewelry – a long necklace with a trident as pendant, and sparkling, simple stud earrings.

She didn't seem to have noticed him. At least, not yet. Her head was lowered over some books and notepads; she appeared to be rather focused.

Only when Apollo had the audacity to push back a chair and sit opposite her, she noticed his presence. He could almost count the seconds she needed to stiffen and slowly lift her head to see who had simply joined her table. But as Percy realized that no other than the sun god was sitting in front of her, her eyes widened slightly, her expression becoming confused and wary.

Apollo was momentarily frozen, knocked off kilter by her beauty. Her dark hair was pulled back into a sloppy bun, a few tendrils curling and falling down around her delicate face, the color striking against her ivory skin. There was a light dusting of moles covering her exposed collarbone, faint dots that spanned sporadically from her collarbone to her chest. He was sure that to most they would be seen as a mar on what could've been potentially flawless skin, but somehow they just fit, and he couldn't imagine what she would look like without her beauty spots.

Her big, deep eyes were – to his surprise – covered by simple, black-framed reading glasses, but it didn't take away their expressiveness and vividness even in the slightest bit. Her long, dark lashes painted crescent-shaped shadows on her cheekbones, sweeping upward toward her delicately arched brows. Her heart-shaped face had almost perfectly proportioned bone structure finished off by a small, straight nose. Her plump, lush lips that almost appeared too large for her ethereal features once again grabbed his attention. They were so enticing that no word besides _erotic_ could suffice in describing it. He was pleased to find that she was hardly wearing any makeup, except a little framing around her eyes and shiny gloss on her lips that made them look juicy and pouty.

"Lord Apollo," Percy greeted him, her voice sweet, yet husky, as she turned away from her books and notepads to sit back with folded arms.

 _Damn, she looks fine as fuck,_ Apollo couldn't help but think. She looked, indeed, elegant and classy.

"Percy," Apollo replied with a crooked, mischievous smile.

She cocked her eyebrows as the bewildered expression on her face subsided, instead making place for an amused smile. "Let me guess, Lord Apollo," she said teasingly. "You were just walking by and decided to look what's going on here?"

Apollo didn't mind that she was teasing him. He joined her amusement, winking playfully at her. "Exactly, sweetheart, you've cracked it."

Percy let out a bright laugh and he was, for a moment, amazed at how young and carefree she sounded. She took off her glasses, putting them on the table before closing her books and pushing them aside. "Well," she said with a little smirk, slightly leaning forward as she placed her forearms on the table in between them, "What can I help you with, Lord Apollo?"

He had to keep his mouth from falling open. She had leaned forward only slightly, but it had been enough for him to catch a glimpse of her cleavage and ... _was she really wearing a red lacy bra beneath her blouse?_ Apollo couldn't think of anything different than pulling her on his lap to rip her blouse open and see for himself if it was actually red lace. Damnit, she was increasingly becoming a temptation he could only hard resist. Upon raising his gaze, letting their eyes lock, he remembered that she awaited an answer to her question.

"With nothing," he said, putting on a charming smile. "Am I not allowed to visit if I want to ask about your welfare?"

"Well, I'm pretty fine," Percy replied in surprise, slightly tilting her head; confusion and nervousness flashed across her face for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. It became clear for Apollo that perhaps he hadn't been abundantly clear yet. That perhaps she didn't know that he was interested in her. Because he was. He was interested. He wanted to get to know her. Because he thought she was beautiful, interesting, and sexy as fuck, and that laugh of hers knocked him on his ass every time he heard it.

So he decided to take the direct way; he was straight-forward and honest by nature. "Can I buy you a coffee?"

There was silence between them for a moment while he watched her reaction closely. At first, confusion flashed across her face, quickly followed by perplexity before an incredulous expression came over her features, coupled with a slight nervousness that made Apollo vaguely suspicious. Was she nervous about _him_? Was _he_ making her nervous? He wondered if perhaps he had scared her off with his sudden bluntness.

"No," she said, cocking her head, causing Apollo to raise his eyebrows in disbelief ... _did she really just reject him_? He had to pull himself together, wanting nothing more than make it clear that she was still speaking to a _god;_ and he wasn't known for being able to cope well with rejection. But then he noticed the mirth dancing in her eyes as the corners of her mouth lifted into a mischievous smile. "But you can buy me a large vanilla milkshake with whipped cream and chocolate shavings."

She smiled and peeked at him from under her thick, long lashes which put his thoughts right back in the gutter they had just attempted to crawl out of. Again he remembered the glimpse he had caught at the red lace beneath her blouse, and he could imagine how she would look like if she gave him that sultry look as she got on her knees for him.

When he called the waitress to order her vanilla milkshake, Percy looked surprised. She obviously hadn't expected him to really buy it for her, but didn't attempt to stop him. The waitress was a young woman, probably at the beginning of her twenties, with sort, spiky, blond hair that was dyed pink at the tips; her right eyebrow and her lower lip were decorated by small piercings. In short – she didn't look like the girl next door that cafés like this one normally wanted as waitresses, but she had an open, cheerful aura that made her appear likeable.

And as Apollo realized that the waitress hardly paid any attention to him, only to Percy, it became clear for him the she was solely into women. He had enough life experience to see things like that. Percy also seemed to realize it, but she didn't appear to be repelled or disgusted. Instead, she gave the waitress a friendly smile as Apollo placed the order. His respect for Percy shot into new heights as he saw how she treated the waitress with kindness.

"Don't you want to order something, too?" Percy asked curiously after the waitress had left.

He leaned forward, also placing his forearms next to hers on the table, giving her a charming smile. "I'll be fine, sweetheart."

Apollo cocked his eyebrows when she leaned back, briefly looking away in embarrassment. Had he come too close? He watched as she folded her arms across her chest, unconsciously pushing her breasts up, and realized that she was – just like her father – fucking unpredictable. There was an aura of confidence around her that told him she was comfortable in her own skin; something he saw less frequently without the usual air of arrogance. Her eyes sparkled, the exotic sea color showing her passion for life without fear. It was clear that Percy wore her heart on her sleeve, and he was thankful to have found her before some asshole had crushed her spirit.

"So, Lord Apollo," she began with a smile, "What exactly are you doing here in Brooklyn if I may ask?"

He chuckled softly, running a hand through his thick, tousled hair. She was like a breath of fresh air, so refreshing and real that he almost had to pinch himself to see if she was actually there. She teased him in a way that didn't leave him second guessing, or internally questioning whether or not she was actually interested, and that – in itself – calmed him.

"Well, let's put it this way – I was in my chariot when I saw you entering this café from above," he admitted, "And I thought that, maybe, I could ask about your welfare."

"I feel honored, Lord Apollo," she said with a mischievous smile and wanted to add something as the waitress came with the milkshake she placed in front of Percy. She thanked the waitress and smiled at her before turning back to Apollo. "But now that you know about my welfare, I can ask you the same question – so, how are you, Lord Apollo?"

Smiling, he watched her whirl the straw around the tall glass, mixing it all in. Her small, feminine fingers closed around it, causing him to see a delicate, modest ring on the ring finger of her right hand. "I'm just peachy, Percy," he said with a soft chuckle before pointing at the books and folders she had closed and pushed aside earlier. "What were you busy with?"

"Oh, this." Percy looked surprised at the books, apparently having forgotten about them long ago. "Well, these are some term papers I have yet to finish for school. Next year is my last one, and then it's college. I'm hoping for a scholarship."

His hands curled into fists as he watched her pouty, glossy lips close around the purple straw. His jeans were really becoming too fucking tight.

"What college do you have in mind?" He asked, trying to distract from the fact that ... _holy shit, her cheeks were hollowing out._ From the corner of his eye, Apollo saw that the two elder ladies were smiling at him and Percy, whispering in excited voices how beautiful young love was. Apollo was glad that Percy didn't have divine hearing.

Fortunately, Percy let go of the straw to answer, "Columbia."

Apollo had to hold back a low whistle. Columbia was pretty impressive, even though from time to time some demigods managed to be accepted into prestigious universities like Columbia. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had been a son of Athena, was one of them. "I'm sure that's not easy," Apollo said with a frown. "Especially when having dyslexia and ADHD."

"True," Percy sighed. "But I hate it when people tell me I can't do something. I always want to prove them wrong. My mother always claims that I'm too curious and spirited for my own good, but I've always had a thirst for knowledge. I guess that's what happens when you grow up with a mother who's obsessed with books and whose biggest dream was becoming a writer – she kinda set me an example of this lifestyle. I spend half of my time with my head stuck in a book, learning and discovering new things, and the other half trying to experience them. I'm a naturally curious and competitive person, so I've always felt like I needed a jump start in everything so I can prove myself to others." She took a sip of her milkshake before continuing, "Not that I don't enjoy the process of learning. I've always pushed myself to do a lot in a little amount of time. And as for my dyslexia and ADHD – I guess that means that I just have to work harder than others. That makes me sound like a complete nerd, doesn't it?"

Apollo was ready to admit that he had never seen anything cuter than watching her babble. The spark of passion in her eyes and the furrows of her brows as her mind whirred, sewing each thought together in an intricate design had him leaning forward, wanting to be closer to her. She gave off this aura, this warmth, and anyone would be stupid not to want to be near her. He was surprised at her insight and how she'd phrased her sentences.

"You're cute when you babble," he grinned. She had to realize just how adorable she was. The fact that she was smart, passionate, brazen, and unafraid to state her opinion made her so much more interesting for him.

Her expression changed, twisting as she tried to muster up some semblance of annoyance, but failed, letting out a soft, embarrassed laugh instead. "Shut up," she groused half-heartedly, "It's not my fault that my words get away with me sometimes."

She leaned slightly forward and brushed her knee accidently against his. They both held their breath. There it was again. Apollo could practically taste the tension between them. She slowly raised her head, only to find him watching her with intensity. It seemed as though she couldn't take her eyes off him. There was an intensity between them that was unmatched with anything else.

Percy broke the moment as she cleared her throat quietly, lowering her gaze. "Can I ask you something, Lord Apollo?"

"Go ahead," he said in a voice that she wasn't used to; he sounded brooding, serious. He didn't do anything else than stare, taking in everything of her, allowing his eyes to roam. The way the light hit her dark hair caused little hints of auburn and golden-browns to shine through, the silk-like quality of it showing signs of extended care. Apollo was no hair connoisseur, but even he could tell that it was natural, no highlights or dye added to accomplish its shine and color.

Percy tilted her head slightly to one side, looking at him fleetingly. "Is it only me ... or do you look somewhat older?"

Apollo cocked his eyebrows, surprised that she was attentive enough to pay attention to his appearance. He rubbed a hand over his jaw that was covered with slight stubble. "It's not only you, Percy," he told her. "I'm currently in the form of a man in the age of twenty-seven." As she continued staring at him in question, silently asking him to continue talking, he said, "That's actually my true form. I take my teenage appearance only when I'm at Artemis's. When I look closer to her Hunter's age, they're not as frightened and tense as they would be if I appear as a grown man, ya know. They find it easier to deal with a male god if he looks more their age, not like a grown man."

He had to admit that he preferred his current form – his true appearance – to the teenage one. What god would like to walk around looking like a teenager forever? He took the appearance only when visiting Artemis and her Hunters. They would be, indeed, a lot more hostile if he would show up looking like a man.

"That's rather thoughtful of you," Percy said with a smile, gazing at him with a strange look in her eyes. Apollo smirked inwardly. He knew that look, had seen it on almost every female he had ever encountered. It meant that she liked what she saw. It meant that liked his looks.

"I'm always thoughtful, Percy," he smirked, winking at her. His smile widened as she blushed softly in embarrassment. "Why are you asking? Do you mind me looking older?"

Her gaze shot to him. "What? No, no, of course not."

"Then it's all fine." His smile became bigger when she looked away, cheeks tinged pink with her embarrassment as she emptied the glass with her milkshake, but once her little, pink tongue came out to catch a bit of whipped cream at the corner of her mouth, his pants became painfully tight. Fortunately, no one had noticed that he was sitting here with a hard on. "So, Percy, when do you plan on going back to the camp?"

She furrowed her brow in thought. "Actually, Annabeth and I were planning on leaving tomorrow. I wanted to meet her anyway to –" She was interrupted by a light vibration, and shot him an apologetic look before she turned to take out her cell phone from the pocket of her jacket that was hanging over her chair.

Her eyes scanned quickly the message she had received, then she turned back to him. "I'm sorry, Lord Apollo, I have to go now. Annabeth just texted me, she's already on her way to meet me."

Apollo held back his sigh of annoyance. He didn't like that they were being interrupted now. He would have liked to continue talking with Percy, but well, he couldn't just hold her down. Fine, he _could,_ but he wouldn't.

"No problem," he said instead, drawing the waitress's attention to himself to pay for the milkshake while he watched Percy gather her stuff and her black handbag that had been lying beside her on the floor.

"Thanks for the milkshake, Lord Apollo," she said with a smile as she rose from the chair.

"No need to thank me, sweetheart," he replied charmingly, watching as she threw her black, classy leather jacket over her blouse and blew a few stray hairs out of her face. Apollo couldn't help but let his eyes roam over her form. _Damn._ It was hard to ignore that hot, little body when it was right in front of him.

"Percy," Apollo said before she could walk away.

She grabbed her purse, turning to stare at him quizzically. "Yeah?"

"It was nice talking to you," he smiled.

Surprised, Percy blinked at him, slightly tilting her head to one side, causing some dark, wavy strands of hair to fall over her face. Her dark beauty made heat and desire churn in his body, especially when she gave him that sultry look from her exotic eyes. She brushed the hair out of her face, lowering her head with cheeks tinged pink, making him smile even more.

"I found it nice, too," she said after lifting her gaze back to him.

His smile became gentle.

Apollo watched as she gave him a last smile, turned around, and left the café. He took the opportunity to lower his gaze to her ass and swaying hips, raising his eyebrows in appreciation. After she had completely disappeared from his sight, he leaned back in his chair, folding his muscular arms over his broad chest, and grinning in satisfaction. It seemed as though she wasn't averse to him. She certainly hadn't acted as though she would mind his company. Yes, she had appeared to be nervous at times, but that was probably due to the fact that he was a god and she wasn't sure how to deal with the sudden attention he showed toward her.

But still ... there was one thing that bothered Apollo.

Was that _really_ red lace he had seen?

.

.

.

The next time Apollo and Percy saw each other again happened two months later.

It happened by pure accident this time.

"That makes $20, Miss," said the taxi driver as he stopped at the road Percy had given him earlier. He looked at her through the rearview mirror with narrowed eyes, a cigarette hanging from between his lips, the smoke floating in thin clouds through the window he had rolled down earlier.

Sighing, Percy handed over the money and some tip before thanking him for the ride and getting out of the yellow cab. The air was clear and cold, which wasn't surprising. The last weeks of August had been warm and humid. It was practically testable in the air that the storms would come soon. The sky over New York was already covered with dark clouds, and every now and then a slight drizzle started to fall. Percy was grateful that she had been so quick-thinking to take an umbrella with her. Just in case if the rain started becoming heavier.

The engine of the cab grumbled on behind her until it finally drove away with squealing tires. Deliberately, Percy walked toward the gates, clutching the orange calendula flowers in her grip, and glanced at the sign above the gates – _Woodlawn Cemetery._ As she pushed the gates, they glided open with a faint squeak. The cemetery wasn't visited a lot at that time of day. Percy could see a few people standing in front of the graves and the cemetery gardener who threw her a quick glance before continuing his work. But otherwise, there was almost an eerie silence hanging over the cemetery. Every now and then it was broken by the clatter of her heeled boots and the crow's screeches.

When Percy arrived at the grave she had in mind, she faltered abruptly upon seeing someone else already standing there. The person was tall and hellishly built. Although he was standing with his back to her, Percy was able to recognize him in an instant. Her heart skipped a few beats before it started to thump faster with nervousness. Her first thought was to turn and go away, but then again ... she was already there and going away would prove nothing except the fact that she was a fucking coward. After exhaling deeply, she walked closer to him.

"Hello, Lord Apollo," she said softly and followed his gaze that was directed at the grave.

 _Lee Fletcher_

 _Beloved son, friend, and brother_

 _April 1994 – July 2008_

She lifted her head once she saw from her eye's corner that he turned to her, staring at her dumbfounded.

"Percy," he said, surprised, and ran a hand through his thick, golden hair. Her eyes roamed quickly over his shape. He was dressed in a black bomber jacket thrown over a gray sweatshirt, faded jeans that were being held at place by a black, wide leather belt, and black Timberlands.

"I had no idea that you were here," she began slightly nervous, burying her left hand into a pocket of her black trench coat. "I mean, I can go if you want, and then come back later –"

"It's okay," Apollo interrupted her with a smile, "I don't mind some company."

She returned his smile weakly and turned back to the grave. Grief welled up in her as she thought about Lee who hadn't deserved to die in that Labyrinth. "He was a good friend of mine," she said softly, at the same time not knowing why exactly she was telling him that. "And he was a good fighter. You'd have been proud if you saw him."

"I'm ... I am proud," Apollo replied roughly as he turned his gaze to Percy. She was holding a small bunch of orange calendula flowers in her right hand. Her wavy, dark hair was braided into a long, loose braid, and she was wearing dark skinny jeans and heeled ankle boots. He could see a navy blue turtleneck sweater beneath her black, elegant trench coat. She looked good. But then again, when didn't she?

A cold wind swept through the cemetery, causing Percy to raise her hand to brush some stray hairs out of her face as she slowly turned to Apollo. It was those eyes that tripped her up. The eyes of an old soul, of someone who had seen too much, done too much. Something clenched painfully in her chest as she took in the heavy-hearted, dark look in his eyes. She didn't like seeing him like that. The overwhelming urge to touch him shocked the hell out of her, but she suddenly seemed to have no power over her hand or its intentions as she laid it on his upper arm, squeezing it gently.

Percy didn't know why she did it, why she touched him. She simply wanted to ... show something. Some support, some understanding. His breath caught for a split second before he looked down at her small, delicate hand wrapped around his upper arm. She was sure that he could feel it, too. That sudden heat that shot straight from the point of the contact through her whole arm and then her entire body. Gods, it should be _forbidden_ that touching him felt so good. To feel his strong, muscular bicep even through the layers of clothes.

And actually, it _was_ forbidden.

She had almost forgotten that he was a _god._ An _Olympian._ You didn't touch a god just like that, even if you wanted to comfort him somehow. She always found it too easy to forget that he was _Apollo,_ a freaking Greek God, an ancient entity that had the power to blow her up with a little snap of his fingers if he wanted to.

"Sorry," Percy mumbled awkwardly, limply letting her hand fall off his bicep.

As she threw him a quick glance, she realized that he was still watching her with that strange look. Wanting to distract from the touch, wanting to no longer have to think about it, she lowered her gaze. She looked at the flowers still being held in her hand before she slowly crouched down and laid the flowers onto the grave. For a brief moment, she remained in that position, staring at the engraved name of Lee, letting all memories she had of him flow through her mind.

He had been so young ... only fourteen years old. That was a much too young age to die. Among demigods, however, it was common. It shouldn't be, though.

Slowly, Percy rose and looked at Apollo, only to find him staring at her with an unreadable expression she merely commented with a faint smile. She had already come to terms with the fact she would never, ever be able to read or name that look in his eyes.

"He was, after all, a good friend of mine," she said softly and shrugged, watching as she slowly nodded. He didn't have to speak the words to let her know that he was silently thanking her. There was silence between them as they gazed down at the grave. The silence was soon broken by distant thunder. From the corner of her eye, Percy could see that Apollo raised his head, sullenly staring up at the sky that had darkened above the two of them.

When he turned to her, she already anticipated his next words and beat him to it. "You have to go, right?"

Apollo sighed and nodded, sending another scowl at the sky. "He's not pleased that I didn't show up at his council meeting once again."

"Then you'd better go," Percy said, managing a playful smile as he chuckled softly. Then they both were silent again, just looking at each other, and after a few seconds, Percy averted her gaze in nervousness. She wondered how long this would go between them. Those moments where they simply stared at each other, saying nothing, only looking eyes drove her crazy.

She took a deep breath. "Well, then … I guess ... see you eventually?"

"See you eventually, Percy," he said softly, and she turned her gaze away, but before he could teleport away, she heard him saying, "By the way – belated happy birthday, sweetheart."

Then he was gone.

Perplexed, Percy looked at the spot where he had been; wondering how he knew that she had her seventeenth birthday two weeks ago.

It felt strange without him. Kind of uncomfortable. The warmth he radiated all the time was no longer there, and now Percy could more clearly feel the cold of the afternoon. Shivering, she pulled her trench coat tighter around her body as a cold shudder went through her. The first raindrop landed on her cheek.

Percy stayed a little longer at Lee's grave while letting her mind wander. She thought about the camp and the battle of the Labyrinth. About how unfair it was that Lee had to die so young. About how his half-siblings mourned him at the camp; after all, he had been the head of their cabin. She thought with a smile about the evenings when he had sung at the campfire, raising the spirits. In some respects he really had resembled his father.

She shook her head slightly as her thoughts turned to Apollo. It had been strange seeing him without his usual playful, boyish smile, but with a grim, serious expression instead. Her lungs clenched again, making it hard for her to breathe properly as she remembered the ancient, heavy-hearted look in his darkish golden eyes. She could still only shake her head at herself for daring to touch him. That shouldn't have happened. And it wouldn't happen again, she was sure of that. But he had looked so defeated ... and she had wanted to comfort him.

But she couldn't deny that touching him had felt _good._ Touching him had felt ... _right._

Percy closed her eyes as she remembered the heat that had shot through her body. The strength of his big body that she had been able to feel through a small touch, through all layers of clothes. _Oh gods,_ she thought ashamed, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

A second raindrop landed on her face, and she looked in frustration at the sky, opening up her umbrella as the summer rain got heavier.

.

.

.

Several days later, Apollo entered his favorite bedroom after having survived another council meeting. He thought them to be completely unnecessary. His father only let them take place, because Percy's eighteenth birthday was slowly approaching and with that also her decision that would either save or destroy Olympus. Apollo, however, sensed that she would choose right. But Zeus was paranoid ... and every time heavy arguments broke out between him and Poseidon who absolutely stuck by his daughter.

As Apollo lay down on his large, golden bed, he closed his eyes and let his mind wander to her. As always when he was alone Percy claimed his thoughts all to herself and he didn't mind. He already knew that he was interested in her. That he _wanted_ her.

He remembered the day when they had met by chance at the cemetery. It had oddly affected him that she'd cared enough for his son to visit his grave and leave flowers behind. He had been right when he'd thought that Persephone Jackson would surprise him even more. She always managed once more to astonish him and make him even more curious for her.

And then she had touched him ...

It had been a small, innocent, friendly touch. She had simply laid her hand on his arm. And yet, it had made so much explode inside him that it had momentarily taken his breath away. It actually wasn't considered appropriate to touch a god. It was bad manners. But fuck, what wouldn't Apollo give to feel more of her touch ... he would gladly let her touch him even more. Nevertheless, he had been surprised that she had dared to do it and he had seen that it hadn't left her cold. But then he had noticed the shock appearing in her eyes as she'd become aware of who she touched.

Damnit, he wanted to see her, hear her soft voice, but he had no idea when they would see each other again. He could only watch from afar. She was, after all, Poseidon's daughter. And he was the Sun God. All hell would break loose if anyone found out that was interested in her. _Orbit._ That was the word for it. She was the Earth, full of life, raging rivers, erupting volcanoes, mysterious oceans, and breathtaking views. He was a satellite in her orbit, witnessing from a distance while she bloomed.

Apollo could see her behind his closed eyelids, hair blowing in the wind, lightened by his sun. She was so beautiful. Her body was curvaceous, not skinny and bony like it was currently popular among the mortals. She had such fan-fucking-tastic tits that he had a hard time keeping his eyes away from when they were together, while simultaneously imagining the color of her nipples. Her round hips ached to be grabbed and gripped while her pert ass deserved its own fucking National Anthem. Seriously, that shit was poetic. The curve of her ass lead down to legs that would look awesome wrapped around either his neck _or_ waist.

Would she sigh, whimper, and moan softly? Or would she scream and demand for more?

He rubbed his palm slowly but firmly along his cock that was pressing painfully against the insides of his toga. He usually took some nymphs if he wanted to fuck, but now release was all he simply needed. Apollo wasn't choosy when it came to his sexual fantasies about Percy. On all fours, missionary, her on top, sideways, backways ... he really didn't give a shit and neither did his dick that was once again hard as a rock for her.

He took a deep breath and imagined that he was sitting in the café with her again. Percy wore her black blouse, flashing him some cleavage, letting him see the red lace again. She would talk about her plans for college that he would have a hard time concentrating on, all because of the way her pink, pouty lips moved and puckered when she talked. She had a mouth that just ached to be kissed, nibbled, licked, and sucked, but he had to take it slow. While she babbled on about something, he would take her hand and hook his fingers with hers. Percy would falter in her words and slowly look up at him. She would ask what exactly he thought he was doing to what he would respond with ordering her to stand up.

The café in his mind was suddenly empty … only he and Percy were there.

Apollo pushed his hand into his toga and gasped as his hand wrapped around his cock. He was rock hard, aching, and practically weeping for her.

Then he would order her to take off her blouse which she would do as told. He pulled his lower lip in between his lips as he pictured how she would look in the red lacy bra, the stark color practically making her ivory skin glow. His fist began to move faster along himself, rubbing his thumb lightly around the head of his cock to spread the appearing liquid down his length.

 _What do you want me to do for you now, Lord Apollo?,_ she would ask in an aroused voice.

 _I want you to fuck my dick,_ he would answer.

A low growl rolled over lips as his fist became even faster. _Not too long anymore._

Now he saw behind his closed eyelids how she – completely nude, apart from her breasts that were covered with the red lace – straddled him, supporting herself with her small, feminine hands on his shoulders as she impaled herself on his throbbing erection. She was so small and delicate, he'd bet a lot on the fact that she was probably tight as hell. It would feel _sublime_ to be surrounded by her heat and tightness. She would be able to take him all in. She would search his gaze with dark, sultry eyes and slowly begin to move. Would let her hips circle oh so slightly to tease him even more.

"Fuck," Apollo grunted roughly as his movements became irregular and uncontrolled, his breathing turning shallow and frantic.

Percy would be so wet that her juices would drip down his entire length, coating him. She would ride him so hard that he would see stars behind his eyes. Her perky breasts, covered in the red lace, would bounce up and down. He would hold onto her thighs, ass, hips, would suck her lace-covered nipples into his mouth like a hungry infant; and when her inner muscles would clamp around him, he would bite into her shoulder as she'd come around him with his name on her lips.

" **Fuck, yeah,** " he groaned as he came hard into his hand.

After having regained his, he cleaned himself with a snap of his fingers, packing himself back up and rising from his bed with a sigh while running a hand through his tousled hair.

Apollo had no idea why he was so fucking obsessed with Percy Jackson. Perhaps it was just the classic case of wanting what you can't have. He wanted her, of course he did, what man wouldn't, but it was more than that. It was an all-consuming need to possess her in a way he had never felt before. She was challenging and downright teasing in a way that made him feel as though he wanted to tame her. Apollo closed his eyes and he imagined he could hear her moaning as he tasted that sweet pussy of hers. Her cries as she trembled against his tongue. **Oh fuck.** His cock stiffened immediately at the thought.

He wasn't stupid. He had been around far too long enough to recognize the symptoms, and he wouldn't fight or ignore them. The day he met Percy, an explosion of feelings had happened inside him. He knew that he'd fallen for her.

Frustrated, Apollo ran both his hands over his face.

Percy Jackson would someday bring him, a fucking Greek God, to his knees, he was sure of that.


	3. Something Strange

**Title:** Eyes On Fire

 **Rating: M**

 **Warnings:** Smut (Graphic sex scenes), Coarse Language, Violence, Mature Themes.

 **Summary:** Fem!Percy/Apollo. Soul-Bound. _"I'd rather be in Tartarus with you than in Elysium without you."_ Rachel Elizabeth Dare isn't the Oracle of Delphi. Persephone Jackson, the daughter of Poseidon, is. And for the first time Apollo truly regrets that his Oracle has to remain a virgin forever, because all he ever wanted to do with Percy, since the time they met, was throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his bedroom. But well, maybe she can help him find a loophole in those rules.

 **Genre:** Romance / Drama.

 **Author's Note:** On my profile, you can find the links leading to the story's cover and banner, and the polyvore site where I create Percy's outfits, what she's wearing and so on. Have fun reading, guys! Please let me know what you think about it, okay? Reviews feed my muse and inspiration, so updates could come even faster. Also, I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes, but English just isn't my native language!

* * *

 **EYES ON FIRE**

 **CHAPTER THREE**

something strange

* * *

 _so i wrote you a letter_

 _etched into my forearm_

 _with the pen that you gave me_

 _said there's one thing that i mustn't fear_

 _this is happening_

 _this is happening_

– **johnny belinda,** by active child

* * *

now

 **T** hey won.

The second Titan War was over and they'd won.

If that wasn't a good start into the future, then Apollo didn't know what was supposed to be. As he appeared in the throne room with the other Olympians, seeing the lot of demigods, Cyclops, Hunters, and spirits, he couldn't help but search for only one person. He found her immediately. She was standing with her father among the crowd, illuminated by the green glow of Poseidon's trident. They were talking, Apollo didn't know about what, but judging by Poseidon's smile, it was nothing bad.

Upon seeing how emotional, relieved, and glad Percy looked, a smile lighted up Apollo's face. After the last few days, she deserved to take a gasp of relief.

" **POSEIDON!** " Zeus roared as Apollo took his seat. Hades was also present, sitting on a simple stone guest throne at the foot of the hearth with his son at his feet, Nico di Angelo whom Apollo already met two years ago, back then when they hadn't known that he was actually Hades's son.

" _Well, Poseidon?_ " Zeus grumped. " _Are you too proud to join us in council, my brother?_ "

Poseidon winked at his daughter before he turned around and strode toward his throne. " _I would be honored, Lord Zeus._ "

Apollo had to suppress a sardonic snicker upon seeing Zeus narrowing his eyes and exhaling in anger. If there was something that was even more fun than baiting his sister, then it was annoying his father. It was always himself, Ares, Hermes, Poseidon, and Hades who'd made it a regular basis of bringing Zeus to rage. Apollo had to admit that it was hilarious to watch whenever Zeus started shouting, fidgeting with his master bolt when one of them dared to paint the pillars pink – again.

As Zeus started his speech, Apollo saw from the corner of his eye that Annabeth Chase entered the throne room unobtrusively, standing next to Percy. They talked in low voices until Hera gave them a disapproving look.

While the demigods were summoned successively to step forward, Apollo studied Percy. She had turned eighteen. Had made the right decision concerning the fate of Olympus – just as Apollo had known from the very beginning. She was standing among the demigods and Cyclops, bracing herself against her sword, literally looking like a war goddess. Beautiful. Strong. Fierce. She had grown up, not only externally, but internally as well. The way she was standing tall with confidence in her gaze told him and everyone else that she was no longer a girl. She was a woman now. But war did that to people, it let them grow up too fast.

Thalia Grace was praised by his sister, and Hades promised, after some glaring from Artemis, to grant the deceased Hunters a place in Elysium. Tyson, the Cyclopean half-brother of Percy, was appointed a General in the armies of Olympus and got a new weapon provided. Naturally, the Cyclops chose a stick, and then walked back to his brethren as Grover Underwood was called forward. Apollo had to hide his snicker against the back of his hand when the little satyr collapsed on spot upon being told that he would take Pan's place as _Lord of the Wild._ Annabeth Chase, who came forward next, was appointed the architect of Olympus with the permission to rebuild everything that was destroyed.

Of course, Apollo couldn't resist telling her to build as many statues of him as was possible, just as Aphrodite and Ares.

" **PERSEPHONE JACKSON!** "

All talking died down as Poseidon called his daughter's name. The soft crackle of the hearth fire was the only sound that could be heard. Apollo had, just like everyone else, only eyes for Percy as she slowly walked forward, first bowing to Zeus and then her father. As she rose again, holding her head high, Apollo couldn't help but admire her; how calm and collected she appeared to be, although all eyes were on her.

She had this quiet about her – something soothing, a strange mix of strength and vulnerability.

" _A great heroine must be rewarded,_ " Poseidon boomed out, his eyes holding a proud gleam that was directed at his daughter. " _Is there anyone who would deny that my daughter is deserving?_ "

No one said a word. Apollo knew – though, many would never, ever admit it – that his immortal family had pretty much grown fond of Percy as time had passed. His father had learned to respect her when she had brought Thalia Grace back to life. Hades was impressed of how she cared for his son and managed to annoy Zeus. Hera had grown to respect her, albeit somewhat reluctantly, after learning about how much Percy loved and cared for her mother. Ares had once admitted that she was a good warrior he approved of. Aphrodite was delighted, because there was finally a demigoddess who was fashionable and classy and didn't hold any grudges against romantic love. Artemis had embosomed the demigoddess for she had proved that a woman could go to war and win as well as men. Athena somewhat liked Percy, not only because of the same reason as Artemis, but also because she had saved her daughter's life more than one time. Hermes had grown fond of her from the very beginning, without any special reason except her former friendship with Luke. Hephaestus could stand her because of how she had kicked Ares's ass and humiliated him. Dionysos somewhat held some respect against her, though he always claimed the opposite. And Hestia ... well, Hestia didn't see Percy as a demigoddess; she saw her as family.

And Apollo himself ... he'd wanted to get to know her since the very beginning. Since he had learned of her existence. He knew what it was that they were about to offer her as a gift; they had discussed earlier whether they should give it to her or not. Eventually, they had decided to provide Percy their offer, their gift, and Apollo hoped so, so badly that she would accept it.

"Percy, you have risen to levels that not even the great Hercules has reached," Poseidon said, smiling. "As such we, the Olympian Council, have decided that you shall have the greatest of gifts – _godhood._ "

Apollo was practically able to hear the wheels starting to hum in her brain. He watched as Percy blinked in shock and opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, because she probably didn't have the right words to speak her thoughts. It was in that moment that her eyes shot to him, even though for the fraction of a second. It happened so fast that no one else noticed how their eyes locked for a brief moment. Apollo tried to tell her through his gaze, _take it, Percy, just take it!_

Possessiveness bubbled up in him, seemingly out of nowhere, but he didn't mind. He had promised to himself earlier that, if she accepted immortality, he would make her his. He could have eternity with her, already imagining the hot, steamy, and passionate sex they would have and could handle. And he, as a god, could handle **a lot.**

"You want to make me ... a goddess?" She asked in shock after averting her gaze from him.

Zeus grumbled something and rolled his eyes. " _A dimwitted goddess, apparently. But yes – a goddess. Then I will have to put up with you forever._ "

"My daughter," Poseidon said gently, shooting Zeus a quick glare. "None are more deserving than you. You have faced the strongest of beings since you were brought into our world. You have become the greatest demigod to ever live, thus it is only natural that you rise to a higher level of being. I know this is much to take in, but this is a great honor, as you are the first in centuries since Greece's fall to become a goddess."

Percy exhaled deeply. When she raised her head, Apollo felt all his hopes die down upon seeing the answer in her eyes and then hearing it from her. "No."

Apollo couldn't understand it. Most would have gladly accepted the chance of being made immortal, but she declined it. Why? Why the fuck did she have to be so confusing and surprising and astonishing? Apollo clutched tightly the arms of his throne, trying to catch her gaze, but she wouldn't have it, avoiding him every single time.

"You're turning down the chance of immortality?" Artemis asked in disbelief. "To be our equal?"

"I feel really honored, Lords and Ladies, but there are some things in this life that are more important than immortality," Percy sighed, her voice polite and firm, yet so determined that it was without a doubt that she meant it absolutely serious. That she wasn't going to change her mind. The Olympians were silent and, probably for the first time, speechless as they shared incredulous looks. "However, I'd like use my gift in the form of a request to the council."

Zeus narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. " _If it is within our power._ "

" _It is,_ " Percy said immediately. " _And it's not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx._ "

" _What?_ " Dionysos cried. " _You don't trust us?_ "

" _Someone once told me,_ " Percy threw a quick glance at Hades, " _You should always get a solemn oath._ "

Hades raised his eyebrows before shrugging. " _Guilty._ "

" _Very well,_ " Zeus growled. " _In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your_ reasonable _request as long as it is within our power._ "

As Apollo muttered his assent with the other gods, deafening thunder sounded upon them, making the throne room shake. Apollo couldn't help but lean forward in excitement, eager to find out what Percy would request. If he had learned one thing about her, then it was this one – you should always prepare yourself where she was concerned. She was as unpredictable as the ocean that rested within her eyes. There was no way to know about how her next move would look like.

"My request has four parts, all of which are easily within your powers. Firstly, I want to both Lord Hades and Lady Hestia to have thrones on the council," Percy began confidently, getting looks of shock and disbelief from the gods. "It's not fair that Lord Hades can only sit among you on the darkest day of the year. He, as well, is an eldest god, having fought with you in the first Titan War and in the Giant War. He has just as much right to be an Olympian as you do. And if it weren't for him, then this war would've been lost and the surviving demigods would be dead." She stopped for a brief moment to give the gods some time to think about her words. "As for Lady Hestia – she represents the hearth fire and will be the calming presence you all desperately need to quell any of your disagreements. Besides, she once already had a place among you and should have it again."

The silence was almost deafening while the gods shared speechless glances, silently communicating with each other. Apollo had to hold back a faint smile. He'd had the feeling that she would surprise him once again, but this time she had literally shaken him up. He was excited to see what else her request included and couldn't help but lean slightly forward, wanting to be closer to her, wanting to breathe in her warm, welcoming aura.

"Brother, sister," Zeus finally sighed after having received a pointed look from Poseidon, "Please take your rightful places among us as Olympians."

Two thrones appeared after that, making the number of thrones fourteen instead of twelve. Hades's throne was ebony, so pitch-black that it looked like the deepest of darkness. Bones of the dead coated in gold and inlaid with various precious gems befitting the God of Wealth adorned the throne. The arm rests were human spines with the skulls still connected, rubies in the place of their eyes. Hestia's throne had an elegant shape adorned with gold and platinum, radiating the warmth of the hearth fire that calmed everyone in presence. It gave the illusion of having the flames of the hearth inside of it if one just stared long enough.

The two Olympians looked at Percy who merely smiled and nodded toward them. Apollo had to admit that he was surprised when Hestia pulled her into a tight hug, chanting "Thank you" over and over again. It was rare that gods hugged someone who wasn't their lover, spouse, or child. Hades merely gave his niece a nod, but his respect for her had increased drastically which not only Apollo was able of noticing.

"Well, Persephone, what is the rest of your request?" Hera asked, her gaze resting thoughtfully at the demigoddess.

" _I want you to properly recognize the children of the gods,_ " Percy said firmly. " _All the children ... of all the gods._ "

Apollo shifted uncomfortably in his throne, noticing that the rest of his family was doing the same.

" _Percy,_ " Poseidon spoke, " _What exactly do you mean?_ "

" _Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents,_ " Percy explained, sighing. " _They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason._ "

Zeus's nostrils flared. " _You dare accuse –_ "

" _No more undetermined children,_ " Percy said sharply, ignoring Zeus. " _I want you to promise to claim your children – all your demigod children – by the time they turn twelve. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive._ "

Percy had managed to make Apollo utterly speechless. He couldn't help but stare at her, wondering where this woman had been all his life.

"That's why there shall be cabins for **all** gods, no matter they be Olympian or minor. They have every right to have cabins and be represented just like you and for their children to sleep with their siblings. They shall not be ignored." She stared at the gods intently, making Apollo angry and frustrated at the same time, seeing that she was avoiding him once again. "My third request is that all of the minor gods and goddesses that sided with Kronos is to be given amnesty and pardoned as well as with the peaceful Titans." Eyes widened everywhere. "A severe tactical advantage wouldn't have been lost had you treated them better. They betrayed you, because you treated them like they were inferior to you, just because you have thrones and are Olympians. It's the same for the Titans that fought with you during the first war, but fought _against_ you in the second; you treated them like crap when they just wanted to be respected. And lastly – no more pact of the Big Three. That didn't work anyway. You've got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We're going to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcome and treated with respect. That is my wish."

There was an eerie silence in the throne room.

The gods stared at Percy, and Percy stared back resolutely.

" _Percy_ ," Poseidon said finally, though proud of his daughter holding the council by the balls. " _You ask much. You presume much._ "

" _I hold you to your oath,_ " she said calmly. " _All of you._ "

She received a lot of steely looks, but ultimately it was Athena who spoke up. " _Persephone is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children and treat the minor gods like we did. It provided a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Persephone Jackson, I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps –_ " Athena grimaced, " _Perhaps I was mistaken. I move that we accept her plan._ "

Apollo was pretty sure that it took Athena some courage to utter those words; after all, she couldn't stand being wrong. But he really didn't care much about it, he was a lot more interested in studying Percy. A little smile flashed across his handsome features, his respect for her reaching new heights. Never before had they had such an unpredictable demigod, and never before had Apollo felt so attracted toward a woman.

"All in favor?" Zeus asked grimly.

All the gods raised their hands.

"Thank you," Percy said softly and turned around. However, before she could leave the throne room, Poseidon called for an honor guard, causing the Cyclops to come immediately forward, making two lines from the thrones to the doors – an aisle for Percy to walk through.

"All hail, Persephone Jackson!" Tyson called cheerfully. "Heroine of Olympus ... and my big sister!"

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.

After the council had dispersed and the spirits and Cyclops had started to remove the first ruins, Apollo rushed out of the throne room with the hope that Percy hadn't left Olympus yet so he could catch her, while naturally ensuring that nobody noticed his leaving. The streets of Olympus were completely deserted. Everything interesting was currently in the throne room, so it didn't surprise Apollo that it was so quiet and empty.

He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he saw Percy a few yards away from him. She was going down the streets toward the gates leading to the elevator which would bring her down to the mortal's world. He frowned as he saw that she was lightly limping, and cursed quietly to himself that he hadn't noticed before.

"Percy," he called out her name and slowed his pace; after all, he didn't want to appear as though he had run desperately after her. Even though he had done exactly that, but it really didn't matter now. Percy faltered, pausing before she slowly turned around and stared at him in surprise. Apollo was still wearing his fiery armor lighting up the surroundings, so they weren't completely embraced by the darkness of the night. He had fastened his golden bow and the quiver with his golden arrows that were known of being his weapons of mass destruction to his back.

Percy smiled slightly, having to look up at him as he came to a stop before her. "Can I help you, Lord Apollo?"

He was only now becoming aware of how small she was compared to him. The top of her head barely grazed his shoulders as he towered over her without any problems at 6'3. His eyes fell to her left leg where the jeans she was wearing had darkened at one particular spot that was probably the source of the flowing blood. "You're hurt," he noted with a frown.

"Oh, yeah." Percy followed his gaze toward her hurt leg in surprise before she shrugged it away. "It's just a scratch."

"I somehow doubt that it's just a scratch," Apollo responded as he cocked his eyebrows, pointing at a fountain that wasn't far away from them. "C'mon, sweetheart, sit down."

She said nothing at first, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the fountain. Eventually, she sighed softly and nodded. Apollo led her toward the fountain and crouched down in front of her once she had sat down at the edge, rolling up the leg of her jeans. It was a quite deep laceration, spirally shaped, still leaking blood. Not as strong as it probably had done before, but strong enough that it had soaked her pants.

"Just a scratch, huh?" Apollo said in dark amusement.

Percy shrugged in embarrassment, staring at the injury with a pained face. "I guess I was wrong then."

Apollo's hand started glowing golden once he let it hover over the laceration. Upon lifting his head, he saw that Percy was watching him with fascination as the cuts on her leg slowly began to close, the blood even returning back into the encrusted wound. A few seconds later, there was no evidence that there had been an injury. Not even a scar had remained.

"Wow," she breathed impressed, smiling up at him as he rose. "Thank you, Lord Apollo."

He waved it off as though it was nothing, and sat down beside her on the edge of the fountain. The soft sound of the water splashing was the only noise that was between them for some seconds. Apollo watched her from the corner of his eye as she rolled the leg of her jeans down and then proceeded to stare thoughtfully at the clear, clean water filling the fountain at whose bottom she was able to see some golden drachmas. The black tanktop she was wearing left her shoulders, throat, and cleavage bare, the light that radiated off his armor letting her pale, creamy skin shine golden.

 _She's fucking beautiful._

But she wasn't just beautiful and sexy – she was a survivor and he admired that.

"So," Apollo spoke, breaking the silence, watching as she turned to look quizzically at him, "What are you gonna do, now that the war is over?"

Percy sighed and stared back at the water. A long, wavy strand of her dark hair came loose off her ponytail, falling down onto her pale shoulder. Apollo clenched his fists, trying to prevent his hand from raising to tuck her hair back behind her ear.

"I'm gonna try and bring the demigods who are still out there safely to camp. I also want to enjoy the summer as long as it still lasts, and get ready for college, you know. Just enjoying my mortal life, now that it's over. I mean, the war was hard and it took a lot from us, but we're already on the road to recovery, and well ... I'm optimistic," Percy said softly as she looked back at him, allowing their eyes to lock.

His golden eyes were incredibly gentle. Even though he still had a roughness surrounding him, proving that his good-natured humor had a dark side, his eyes were so sincere and gentle that it was too easy for Percy to enjoy his aura of godly power. His lips stretched into a soft smile as she swallowed hard, gazing down at the ground, and inhaled deeply which proved to be a mistake – he smelled like summer rain, sunshine, and pine and just like _himself,_ causing everything inside her to clench longingly.

 _Oh gods._

"I have to go now, Lord Apollo," she said softly and rose to her feet, stepping out of the light that he emanated and into the darkness that embraced her like an old friend. Apollo rose as well, studying her with an unreadable look. His hands twitched, wanting nothing more than to brush the hair out of her face, but he managed to keep his desire under control and nodded instead.

Before she could leave, however, Apollo stopped her with a question. "Can I buy you another vanilla milkshake someday, Percy?"

She turned to him. Astonishment was written across her face, and she had bitten her lower lip as she seemed to think about his offer for a moment before she exhaled softly, giving him a sweet smile. "Sure."

Apollo had to hold back the broad grin that was about to spread across his face, and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll see you soon then?"

Percy nodded with a little smile before turning around and walking the streets down. Apollo watched her until she completely disappeared out of his sight, then he ran a hand through his hair again, allowing himself to call out quietly, "Fuck, yes" with a silly grin on his face. He didn't know what the future held for him where it concerned Percy, even as the god of prophecy he didn't, but when it came to her his millennia-old knowledge didn't seem to work. He always could only guess and imagine what the two of them would turn out to be for each other.

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.

.

It felt so good to finally be able to take a shower. So good that Percy couldn't help but sigh happily, lean against the shower wall, and close her eyes as the hot water poured down her body. Fortunately, she was the only girl in the lady's shower rooms at camp. It was, however, already late at night. She assumed that the demigoddesses who had fought in the war were away in their cabins, not considering taking a shower past midnight.

Percy reached camp only ten minutes ago, and had decided to talk to Chiron and the others about everything tomorrow. Now she simply wanted to enjoy the time she had for herself. She turned the water to an even hotter degree and ran her hands over her tense neck, trying to loosen the muscles there. The water was helping at that. She soaped herself with a body wash that smelled wonderfully like oranges and oriental flowers, and rinsed the shampoo and conditioner out of her hair which now gave off the beguiling smell of vanilla and coconut. It didn't take long until the shower stall was filled with enticing scents, causing her body to relax some more.

Percy still couldn't really believe what had happened in the last hours. They'd won the war against the Titans, though it had cost them a lot. Many demigods had died, a lot among them who Percy had considered her friends. The gods had offered her immortality and godhood as a gift; but she knew that she'd made the right decision with turning that offer down. There were a lot of things more important to her than being immortal. But she couldn't deny that she hadn't been able to keep herself from looking at Apollo in that moment.

For the fraction of a second, she had imagined what they would become for each other if she were immortal ... if they both had all the time in the world. Percy couldn't deny that she felt extremely attracted to him, that there was something between them, chemistry, incredible intensity that she couldn't put her finger on. It was something she had no control over, even though she would like to have exactly that. She had agreed to meet him again. It was only a _meeting_. Percy wouldn't dare to call it a _date_ , seeing as she knew, after all, how risky it was. She held nothing against him, she somewhat _liked_ him, and certainly it wouldn't turn out to be wrong to have a friendly relation with a god, would it? It wouldn't be wrong to have something friendly and casual with Apollo, right? There was _nothing_ romantic about the fact that he had invited her to another vanilla milkshake.

… _right?_

If things would look differently, if he would be an ordinary man and she an ordinary woman, then perhaps Percy wouldn't mind calling it a _rendezvous,_ but reality was nothing like that at all. He was a god. She couldn't and wouldn't get involved with a freakin' god unless she wanted, of course, to end up dead or alone and heartbroken and with child. And Percy wanted nothing of that. She was aware of how fickle the gods were with their affections. She knew that they got bored quickly, going from one woman to the next. Percy herself was living proof of such a relationship. And she also knew of how big and full the Apollo cabin was. She was very well aware that he was a womanizer, cocky and too confident for his own good. Besides, relationships between a god and a demigoddess were forbidden. Zeus and his Ancient Laws didn't tolerate gods interfering in the lives of demigods.

Percy would keep the thing with Apollo friendly and casual. She would prevent it from turning romantic or sexual, and if he got the idea of approaching her in any of that ways she would immediately draw a line between them.

When she accidentally brushed the back of her hand against her left breast, her nipples became instantly taut, forcing a sharp intake of breath from Percy. Thinking about Apollo while standing naked in the shower was absolutely no good for her. Even a simple thought of him let heat and desire churn in her belly. Although she wanted to keep a friendly relation with Apollo, she couldn't possibly ignore that he was hellishly attractive and that she certainly wasn't averse to him where the physical matter was concerned. And if she was all by herself, she could still have her dirty fantasies about him, couldn't she? She was allowed to use him when giving her body relaxation, right? After all, she could use some relaxing after the last few days.

With that thought in mind, she didn't keep her hands any longer from stroking her breasts. Percy wasn't strange to things such as sex and masturbation. She was still a virgin, sure, and hadn't dated any guys in the last months, but that didn't mean that she was a prude – actually, she was quite the opposite of it. And she could use some relaxation every now and then in the world she lived in, no matter if she had to take care of it on her own.

A small gasp came across her lips as she swept her palms over her nipples, rolling the little buds between her thumb and index finger. Her eyes fluttered closed as she imagined that it was Apollo who did that to her; that it was his hands caressing her breasts. He was a millennia of sexual experience wrapped up in a devilishly sexy, golden-eyed, muscular package. Percy could see his glowing, blazing eyes behind her closed lids; he was watching her with that intense, hot look that had her willing and ready in a matter of seconds while she moaned and begged for more in a soft whimper.

She pulled her right hand away from her breast, letting it slowly wander across her stomach and in between her thighs, licking her lips as she felt the moisture that had pooled at her entrance. The hot water running over her body increased the tingling sensations she was feeling as she stroked her nipples with her fingers while simultaneously spreading her wetness over her clit, starting to rub the tiny, swollen bud in small, feather light circles. She moaned low in her throat, imagining the way Apollo would do it.

 _Oh gods._

Percy could see him in front of her, watching her with that arrogant, cocky smirk of his. _Fuck._ She wanted him. She wanted him over her, weighing her with his big body into a bed, a couch, a freaking kitchen counter.

Her fingers were stroking her clit faster and harder now as her hips started to grind impatiently against the heel of her hand; she imagined Apollo leaning down to suck her nipples into his mouth, his fingers beginning to work her pussy harder, rubbing her clit in firm circles until she would clutch his broad shoulders with her small hands as the orgasm crashed over her body in huge waves.

" _Yes, yes, yes,_ " Percy whispered frantically as her inner muscles clenched, the fire spreading through her entire body. After a few more rubs across her clit, she gasped loudly, holding on to the shower head to keep her balance as the waves of her orgasm rushed through her, making her twitch and shudder and whimper. It took her a few seconds to regain her breaths and come down from her high. She couldn't help but sigh softly upon feeling the numb, relaxed feeling that had taken over her whole body.

Then she chuckled in disbelief.

Apollo had just given her an orgasm and the poor guy hadn't even been there for it.

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.

.

It was surreal being back at camp, because everything looked so peaceful – no burning buildings, no wounded fighters. The cabins were bright in the sunshine, and the fields glittered with dew. Some satyrs were playing volleyball or singing soft melodies on their flutes. The woods rushed gently when the trees moved with the wind, a few Dryads flitted back and forth between them. Some Naiads were sitting on the lake's boat bridge, happily weaving their wicker baskets. Cyclops and other demigods helped building the new cabins.

Percy sighed contentedly as she observed the view of the camp. It had been too long since she had seen it so in peace and harmony. She took a sip of her warm cocoa that was gently swashing in blue-white dotted cup Annabeth had given her earlier, and leaned against the porch railing of the Big House. Chiron, who was still covered with bandages, and Grover sat around a small table, playing Parcheesi. Grover was chewing happily on a plastic cup. Nico had leaned against the railing beside Percy. Annabeth sat on a chair next to them. Sketches, plans, sheets, pencils, and rulers were spread out in front of her – her plans for the rebuilding of Olympus. Dionysos, who usually played along with Grover and Chiron, was still at Olympus – everything was haywire up there as well.

"We are going to have to expect twice as many campers next summer," Chiron said as he followed Percy's gaze. "But it will be the same old place."

She turned, watching as Grover diced a four. Chiron had explained to them that a lot was going to change in the coming months. Her request to the Olympians had gotten the ball rolling – the camp would be far more crowded than ever before, new cabins were already beginning to be built, the Big Three had the possibility to sire demigods again, the minor gods would no longer remain in the shadows, and there were fourteen Olympians now instead of twelve. Chiron had told them that the gods themselves were busy with remodeling the mist and the mortal's memories so that it would appear as though it always had been fourteen Olympians Gods.

Percy had been pleased when she heard of it. She had hoped for a change when she had told the gods of her request. She wanted to create a change after the war, improving something; saving something that could have been saved from the very beginning if the Olympians had not been such ignorant brats. Chiron had told her that there certainly would be change – both on Earth and on Mount Olympus.

Taking another sip of her cocoa, Percy looked at her best friend who kept muttering something about statues and new building and temples while drawing some lines on her sketches.

"Annabeth," Percy said in amusement, "how about we both fire up the arena, huh?"

It was known to all that Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Clarisse La Rue were the best female warriors the camp had ever seen. When two of them decided to fight against each other, the entire camp would gather to watch it and make bets on who would win. Only Percy had the advantage that she was able to use her water powers, but Annabeth and Clarisse never gave up. This time, however, Annabeth seemed to be miles away.

"I can't," the daughter of Athena murmured, scratching her cheek with her pencil. "I've got to finish these."

Grover bit noisily into a second plastic cup as he looked at Percy and shrugged. "I told you that it'd be in vain, Percy."

Nico couldn't restrain his snicker, causing Percy to give him a dry look.

"Annabeth," Percy sighed, putting her cocoa down on the table, "if you'll go with me to the sword fighting arena, I promise that I'll ask my father what kind of statues he wants of himself in Olympus. But first, you have to go the arena and train with me."

It seemed, indeed, to work. Annabeth slowly lifted her gaze, staring irresolutely at her. Percy had to hold back a triumphant smirk. Poseidon was the only god Annabeth hadn't asked yet about his statues on Olympus. She was too afraid to go to him and ask what he pictured, seeing as she was a daughter of Athena. He might turn her into a Gorgon, just to get back at her mother. Though, Percy knew that was nonsense, but Annabeth didn't seem to want to listen to her in that matter.

Chiron, Nico, and Grover shared a look of amusement.

"Okay, okay," Annabeth said with a resigned sign, put her sketches and pencils aside, and followed Percy down the porch. "All right, I'll come, but don't let it go to your head, Seaweed Brain."

"Come on, Wise Girl, I'm gonna –" Percy's grin faded as the earth suddenly started to shake. She turned around, realizing that Annabeth had paused abruptly, too. Chiron had risen in alarm, his bow ready in his hand. Nico had a scowl on his face as he drew his sword. Grover paused in the middle of his chewing on the plastic cup, staring at Chiron, then at Percy and Annabeth. The Cyclops and demigods who had been busy with the construction of the cabins dropped their tools, looking around in confusion. The Naiads had bolted in fright into the depths of the lake.

"Chiron, what the hell is happening?" Percy shouted as the shaking got stronger. The porch tables and chairs fell with a crash. "It's definitely not an earthquake!"

Percy knew exactly that it wasn't an earthquake. As the daughter of the god responsible for those she automatically knew that it was something else. She could see the Cyclops panicking while the demigods drew their weapons. The Dryads were no longer visible, probably having disappeared into the trees.

"I do not know, Percy!" Chiron called back, his face ashen. He said something else, but Percy didn't hear it anymore as her whole vision started to blur at that moment. First it was only black points dancing in front of her eyes, then the blackness started to grow until it overdrew her sight. She heard numbly that Annabeth screamed in horror, rushing to her to hold her as her knees buckled.

"Percy," Annabeth cried in shock upon looking into the eyes of her best friend; there was no sign of an iris and pupil, only the whites of her eyes were visible. She turned in horror toward Chiron who had come to them along with Nico. Grover ran frantically after them, his face hidden in palms while he muttered something unintelligible. "Chiron, what's happening to her?"

Percy felt Chiron grabbing her by the shoulders, forcing her to stand upright. He didn't make it as she suddenly winced, beginning to scream in pain. She had no idea what was happening to her, but it caused the panic to rise within her stronger than ever before. Stinging pain exploded in her head, making her knees buckle and give in. Something very ancient ... something very powerful was trying to find a way into her. Percy was used to fight against physical forces, against something that had a form and was visible. But the power that was at work here brought her to the hilt – the force was invisible and didn't try to harm her physically. It was psychic, trying to find a way into her head and mind.

A distorted, ancient voice echoed in her head ... _I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer to the mighty Python_... the voice grew louder. Percy clutched her head with both her hands, tuning out that a crowd had gathered around her while Annabeth and Chiron tried to help her somehow. _Go away, go away, go – … I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer to the mighty Python._ _ **Let me in.**_

"Chiron," Annabeth breathed in horror and pointed toward the Big House, "It can't be ..."

The others now also noticed that up at the Big House something was definitely wrong. Green light flashed behind the windows, shooting them out. Mist – the magical kind – swirled around the yard, directly toward Percy. Chiron and Annabeth couldn't do anything as they were, along with the others, hurled back by an invisible force. The mist swirled around Percy who was laying on the ground, shivering as though she was going into shock.

The headaches were still there as the invisible force tried to find a way into her mind, but they were suddenly no longer important. Percy didn't want to, but the force made her rise to her feet, forcing her to walk toward the Big House. She looked like she was sleepwalking, however, she could see everything clearly again. She could see her friends and the campers trying to reach her in vain. And she would love to run toward them, let them help her, but she _couldn't._ The strange force was operating her body and all her movements.

The house rumbled. The door flew open and green light poured out. Percy recognized the warm musty smell of snakes and tensed in shock as the Oracle appeared in the doorway. The withered mummy shuffled forward in her rainbow dress. She looked even worse than usual, her hair falling out in clumps, her skin crackling across her body. Her glassy eyes stared blankly into space, but she was drawn straight toward Percy. And Percy wanted to tell the force to leave her body, she wanted to demand to be left alone, but no words left her lips. Only the panic and fear rose further within her, constricting all her airways, making it hard for her to breathe at all.

At that moment, the sun blazed more brightly. A man appeared on the porch, and Percy recognized him immediately – golden-blond hair, sun-kissed skin, a white toga, aviator shades. Percy wanted to demand an explanation from him, but she couldn't do anything except turn her eyes to him and stare blankly. The strange force inside her tightened pleasantly, practically _hissing_... as though it would recognize him, as though it was delighted to see him there.

"Persephone Jackson," he said in a serious voice as a deep frown appeared on his face. " _You have the gift of prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?_ "

She wanted to scream that she didn't want it, but the force made her nod and say, " _It's my destiny._ "

" _Do you accept the risks?_ "

" _I do._ "

Apollo nodded slowly, not showing anything of his inner anxiety and worry. " _Then proceed._ "

" _I accept this role,_ " Percy said evenly. She didn't know where she was getting the words from, but they simply flew to her mind. The invisible force made her open her mouth and speak, " _I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate._ "

A green column of smoke, like a huge python, uncoiled from the mummy's mouth and slithered down the stairs, curling affectionately around Percy's feet. The Oracle's mummy crumbled, falling away until it was nothing but a pile of dust in an old tie-dyed dress. Mist enveloped Percy in a column, blocking her out from everyone else, and in that moment all her attempts of keeping the force outside fell apart. Blackness appeared back in front of her eyes, but this time it held and let her fall into deep numbness.

As the mist sank into the ground and the green light faded, Percy was laying passed out on the ground. Her body was shaking. Her face was ashen. Annabeth, Nico, and Grover were the first rushing toward her, but Apollo foiled them as he held up his hand, causing them to stop from doing what they had in mind.

"Lord Apollo," Chiron said in a grave tone and came forward, "What will happen with Percy now?"

The Sun God crouched down in front of her unconscious body, studying her in worry. "The hardest part is over – the spirit has taken hold of her. Now she needs to rest. When she wakes up, it will be her deciding how she's going to cope with the spirit inside her."

"Her life aura," Nico said with an ashen face, "It almost faded completely. I could see her dying."

Annabeth ran a hand over her face and threw Apollo a suspicious look before looking at the unconscious body of her best friend. "We have to take her inside before she wakes up. It'll be easier for her to sleep on the couch."

"I can do it," one of the assembled demigods offered, a son of Ares who was already coming closer toward Percy.

Apollo shot up as though something had burned him and glared angrily at the demigod. "No," he said coldly. The authority in his voice made the demigods recede and lower their gazes nervously. "I'll take her."

The crowd watched as Apollo put a hand on Percy' back, wrapping the other under her knees as he lifted her from the ground and nodded at Chiron. "I've got her."

Nico, Annabeth, Grover, and the centaur followed him inside where Apollo laid his Oracle gently onto the couch. After ensuring that no one was watching him, he leaned down to her and whispered into her ear, "I've got you."


	4. Changes

**Title:** Eyes On Fire

 **Rating:** M

 **Warnings:** Smut (Graphic sex scenes), Coarse Language, Violence, Mature Themes.

 **Summary:** Fem!Percy/Apollo. _"I'd rather be in Tartarus with you than in Elysium without you."_ Rachel Elizabeth Dare isn't the Oracle of Delphi. Persephone Jackson, the daughter of Poseidon, is. And for the first time Apollo truly regrets that his Oracle has to stay a virgin forever, because all he ever wanted to do with Percy, since the time they met, was throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his bedroom. But well, maybe she can help him find a loophole in those rules.

 **Genre:** Romance / Drama.

 **Author's Note:** _On my profile, you can find the links leading to the story's cover and banner, and the polyvore site where I create Percy's outfits, what she's wearing and so on. Have fun reading, guys!_ _ **Please let me know what you think about it, okay?**_ _Reviews feed my muse and inspiration, so updates could happen ever faster. Also, I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes, but English just isn't my native language!_

I'm alive, yes. And I am so, so very sorry for the delay; that you had to wait so long for this chapter. Life was just a bitch in the past weeks. I moved in with my boyfriend, got a place in the university here in Cologne. Everything just happened so fast that I couldn't find the time to work on the new chapter. But here it is, yay! I hope it makes up for the delay. Also, I want to thank all of you who left a review behind, and favorited and followed this story. It's just so flattering. I don't know how to thank you, guys, but you all are literally my motivation. I hope I can thank you enough with updating faster now.

Before you start reading the chapter, I want to address something – I got a very nice, very polite guest review that had me reacting like _"Bitch, say what?!"_ So, I don't know who you are, but I kinda want to respond to that review very badly: _Wow. Another guest reviewer who doesn't have to balls to log in, or create an account to leave me a message behind so I wouldn't have to make my answer public. Look, honey, you don't even know half of what's to come in this story. Perhaps you're used to reading about a fem!Percy that throws a tantrum at everything and flips about nothing, but_ _ **my**_ _Percy just doesn't work that way. Yes, she's got fire and temper, but she only lets it out when it's necessary. And currently there's nothing for her to throw a tantrum at. Of course, she knows the myths. Not each one of them obviously. But she's not yet at that point where she seriously thinks about her future with Apollo and what it means for her. I want to show how it could be if Apollo and Percy both changed each other. If they changed things_ _ **together**_ _. The story hasn't even reached five chapters. Calm your tits. If you don't fucking like the story, then don't fucking read the story. But no. You had to leave a nagging review just because you're probably one of those authors who can't write for a penny and when they do, it's just a chapter of 100 words (no offence to those who can manage to pull of a 100-words-chapter successfully)._

Yay, that's it. I'm sorry I had to make that public, but I needed to reply to it and there was no other way for me to do so. Now, go on reading!

* * *

 **EYES ON FIRE**

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

changes

* * *

 _we've got forever slipping through our hands_

 _we've got more time to never understand_

 _falling footsteps weighing heavy on me_

 _the shortest distance between two points_

 _is the line from me to you_

– **between two points,** by glitch mob

* * *

 **I** t had happened unexpectedly.

When Apollo felt a power surge going through his body that morning, he had immediately known what it meant. The Spirit of Delphi had found a new vessel. It had a living, healthy body again. Usually, Apollo felt it months – even years – before that his Oracle was ready to settle in a new body. He always knew when it was time. Above all, he always knew which girl was meant for it.

But this time … this time he'd had no idea. Hadn't had the slightest suspicion that Delphi was planning to plant itself into a new female body. The shock Apollo had felt this morning, while he had been busy with dressing himself in one of his bedrooms in his temple, when everything started to alarm in his mind had been beyond great. There wasn't much in this world that could really shock him. He was an entity that had been walking this planet for millennia and he had done everything, seen everything. So if something managed to shock Apollo, it really had to be something big.

Something of very great importance.

The fact that his Oracle had found a new body, however, wasn't the only shock. When he'd teleported to the Camp, seeing who had been found rightful by the Spirit, he'd been ready to mark this peculiar day red in the calendar.

 _Percy._

It was Percy, she was the Oracle, the Spirit had chosen her body, her mind. Apollo couldn't understand. He couldn't understand how it was Percy, why it had chosen her. He had never suspected that she could become the next vessel, never before had he imagined her to be his Oracle. Heck, he didn't want it, because it changed so much that his head was practically spinning. And he was a goddamn immortal. He was never confused or unaware of something. He was _Apollo,_ the God of so many things – of prophecies for example. So why hadn't he seen it coming?

"You won't tell me, Delphi, will you?" He murmured, staring at Percy's body that was on the couch in front of him.

Since Apollo had taken her into the Big House and laid her down onto the couch, almost an hour had passed. At first he had tried to kill time by pacing up and down the room, trying to figure out why it hadn't happened earlier, why it was her, why he hadn't known. Then he had sat down onto the chair by the couch and since then he had been waiting impatiently for her to finally wake up. He already had tried to reach Delphi several times, but the Spirit had probably retreated into a deep corner of Percy's mind to rest there. It took the Spirit almost as much energy to settle into a new body, especially when the girl's body and mind were resisting it.

When Apollo heard someone stepping into the room, he immediately knew who it was.

"She is not awake yet?" Chiron asked, depressed.

Apollo glanced at him, seeing the worried look the centaur was staring at Percy with. He shook his head slightly, knowing that the centaur and her friends had questions that demanded to be answered, questions that they didn't dare to ask because of too much respect and fear of him. That was how it was supposed to be. Apollo was glad they didn't come to him since as he didn't want to have the demigods around him disturbing the privacy he currently had with Percy. Even though she was unconscious.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Chiron nodded respectfully at him and then trotted out again

Exhaling deeply, Apollo ran a hand through his hair, a habit he had picked up centuries ago. Frustration flitted through his ichor as he glanced over Percy's unconscious form. She looked … vulnerable. Seeing her in such a vulnerable state did strange things to him. She was still a little ashen faced, but he could see the blood slowly returning to her cheeks, showing that she was going to wake up soon. Few tendrils of her long hair had come loose out of her messy ponytail. The contrast created by her dark hair and her pale skin and the gray sweatshirt she was wearing was unique. Apollo folded his arms across his chest and clenched his hands into fists to keep himself from giving in and letting his fingers wander over her slender neck and her delicate collarbones.

It was still there.

The desire.

Even now when he knew that she was the Oracle, out of reach for all men including him. If Apollo could have chosen the girl for the Spirit, he certainly would never pick Percy. He wanted her. He had planned to get to know her better, to take her out on dates, to wine and dine her, show her how good some things could feel. Fuck yes, he wanted to be intimate with her but that was no longer a secret; at, least not for him. He was used to having sex on the regular, whenever he wanted it actually. But it had been clear from the very beginning that with Percy it would be more than just sex. He'd wanted to show her how good they could be together. It wasn't only about getting his dick wet, it was about seducing her, making her feel good.

But now … she was the Oracle, she couldn't be touched in this respect. She had to stay pure. Virgin. It meant he could no longer explore that thing between Percy and him. This meant that his balls would turn so blue they would look purple and his cock would shrink and dry.

Well okay, he had to admit that he was a little exaggerating.

Other people would regard his thoughts as selfish and disgusting, but to Apollo it was something he was used to, something he didn't think about – it was something all the gods had. Selfishness was practically his second name.

"What am I supposed to do with you now, Percy?" He murmured more to himself than to her and gave in to the desire to touch her skin. He let his fingertips wander gently over her delicate jawline, over her neck, and down to her collarbones, enjoying the feel of her smooth, silky skin beneath his fingers. She looked so creamy and soft – would she taste just as sweet? Before venturing to run his hand over her well-grown chest moving up and down with each of her breaths, Apollo pulled his hand away and clenched it into a fist.

 _Why do I even try to keep myself in check? She's_ _ **my**_ _Oracle. She belongs to_ _ **me**_ _. I should take what belongs to me, what I want to have._

The dark side of his entity wanted him to take advantage of her unconsciousness. His dark side which he had properly lived out in his youth, which he had been trying to keep in check for several millennia, and no longer let out. But he wouldn't take advantage of her condition, not here, not now. He couldn't do that to her, he wouldn't, even though the little voice in his mind was right. She _did_ belong to him. She was _his_ Oracle. He was the one who had power over the Spirit of Delphi, he was its entity.

 _She was his._

She might not understand it yet – fuck, Apollo didn't know if he understood it – but she was made for him.

When he noticed her eyes flickering behind her closed eyelids, he sat upright. She was waking up. Tension filled his whole body as he watched her hands twitch slightly. She hummed softly and opened her eyes. At first, she stared at the ceiling without a sense of direction before slowly letting her gaze wander through the room until she spotted him. Apollo could practically hear the wheels starting to turn in her head as the memories of what happened came back to her. Silent questions flew through her eyes as she slightly parted her plump lips and breathed a low, " _Oh._ "

.

.

.

She couldn't remember much as she slowly regained consciousness. Percy knew that it had been green everywhere – a brilliant, bright emerald green burning in her eyes. But what had happened before or after … nothing. She couldn't remember anything. She felt that she was laying on something soft; a bed maybe? Or a couch? She was no longer cold, and she was no longer able to feel the invisible force trying to find a way into her mind. And she could … _oh gods_ … invisible force.

Yes. Yes.

Fragments of memories were coming back now, and Percy groaned quietly as a slightly throbbing pain spread through her head. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as the one she'd had earlier, but it was enough to make her grimace. It had felt so good being unconscious, dipped in pure darkness. Finally, she opened her eyes and saw a white ceiling with a small chandelier dangling from it above her, making her realize that she was in the living room of the Big House. Percy let her gaze wander through the room, faltering when she saw the familiar person sitting in an armchair by the couch she was laying on, watching her intently.

That was the moment all the memories of what had happened came back to her, and she grimaced again as the pain in her head grew sharper for a moment before fading back to a fain throb. Percy had no idea what to do or what to say.

"Rested well, Sleeping Beauty?" Apollo broke the silence between them, leaning against the back of the armchair.

"Well … yes," she replied hesitantly.

Percy didn't know how he could look so relaxed after what had happened. But still … she felt a slight tension radiating from him; felt that he was alerted – although he didn't look like it at all. The confidence surrounding him filled the entire room. His godly aura seemed to enlighten everything, seemed to make everything brighter and clearer. His black bomber jacket and the white, tight-fitting shirt he was wearing underneath created an extraordinary contrast to his sun-kissed, glowing skin. She glanced at his ripped jeans and the black Timberlands, wondering when he'd had the time to change his clothes. But then she remembered that he was a God, after all. He probably had to wave his hand once and would wear his toga within seconds again.

He tilted his head slightly, a curious expression appearing in his eyes, causing a rush of nervousness and excitement to almost close her throat. She felt his presence all too well, the heat that he seemed to radiate in waves.

"I bet you have a lot of questions," he said thoughtfully.

Percy didn't dare meeting his eyes, because she knew that all the words would leave her mind when she looked into his eyes. He had that effect on her.

"You can bet on that," she sighed, turning her head away from him, running a hand tiredly across her face. She still couldn't believe that she was … she didn't want to realize it. "So I am the …"

"The new Oracle?" Apollo smiled mildly. "Looks like it."

He watched with darkened eyes as she exhaled in frustration and tilted her head back, exposing the delicate neck he had let his fingers glide over. He wanted to touch her again. When she started to talk, his eyes snapped back to her face to take everything of her in. He had allowed himself a moment of weakness a few moments ago, but now he had to pull himself together. Behaving like a mortal teenager who'd had the privilege to touch a female body for the first time wouldn't do any good to the both of them.

She sat up on the couch, leaning back against the pillows someone had put behind her back.

"But I mean … how?" She asked, frustrated. "I mean … as far as I know, it must happen differently, right? The girl has to want it, too … has to allow the Oracle to enter her body. That's what Chiron told me four years ago."

Her cheeks began to burn brightly as she realized how suggestive her words sounded. Apollo seemed to catch up on that as well. He cocked his eyebrows slightly, the hint of a smirk starting to form on his face.

"That's true," he replied and leaned slightly forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "I've got to admit that I'm pretty surprised. Usually, I know a long time before it actually happens when my Oracle changes the body. This time, however, it happened without any warning. Tell me what happened, Percy."

"Well … I remember that everything started to shake. I was at the Big House with Chiron and my friends when it happened." Percy lowered her gaze to the flowered blanket that someone had laid over her legs, tracing the colorful flower patterns with her eyes. "Everything went blurry then, my head began to hurt like hell. And then the Oracle came out, you appeared, and I think the rest you know yourself."

Apollo stared up at the ceiling as he let her words wander through his head. "How did it feel? Did the Spirit say something when it found a way into you?"

Was it just her, or were his words _actually_ suggestive? Percy tried to hide her embarrassment, but her cheeks turned redder. She could swear that Apollo grinned slightly for a brief moment. "Uh, actually … the Spirit did say something, but not much. It just introduced itself very politely as the Oracle of Delphi and demanded that I let it in."

She finished her dry words with an equally dry look.

When Apollo didn't reply, she frowned and glanced at him. He was still staring at the ceiling, his expression pondering. She had never seen him look so serious and brooding before. He seemed to feel her gaze, however, and turned his golden eyes toward her to stare at her with a concentrated expression. She wondered if he knew; knew that she couldn't breathe properly when he looked at her. Maybe he even did it on purpose.

"What'll happen now?" She asked softly.

He didn't respond immediately. A few seconds passed where he simply stared at her silently; seconds where Percy tried to calm her heart that was pumping her blood wildly through her body. Then, finally, he sighed and averted his gaze from her, causing her to exhale in relief and maybe even in disappointment.

"You can't undo it if that's what you really want to know." She closed her eyes, feeling caught, trying to blend out that his eyes were on her again, this time sharper than before. "As soon as the Spirit is in a new body, it will remain there. It's a life-long contract you can't tear apart in the middle, even if you didn't put your signature on it by our own choice, ya know? You've gotta learn to live with it now, but I can tell you that not a lot of things changed for you –"

"And which ones did?" She interrupted him.

It didn't seem to bother her that she'd interrupted a God in the middle of his sentence, even when he gave her a sharp look. "You already know that you'll spit out green mist every now and then when a new prophecy demands to be heard through you, don't you?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "One thing you don't know, though, is that we both have a connection now."

Her head snapped toward him as her eyes widened in horror. "A what? A connection of what kind?"

It annoyed Percy that she couldn't hide in how much panic she was because of that. She hadn't known that the Oracle had a connection to Apollo, though it made sense in some way. Still … she had yet to find out what that connection was that had formed between them from the very start. Now having a connection with him she didn't even sign for was frightening.

Apollo sighed, already having reckoned such a reaction.

"Listen," he began slowly, "The Oracle is something that's under my control. That means that there's something in you know that will … follow my orders." Upon seeing her horrified gaze, he hastened to explain it more precisely. "I don't mean that you're gonna be a slave without your own will. I can't give you an order that isn't related to your position as the Oracle. I can't tell you to do something, because you still have your free will. But if I command your, for example, to recite a prophecy or to give a new one, then you'll do it automatically. The Spirit of Delphi will execute it. Then, you'll be simply the body the Spirit acts through. You understand?"

She furrowed her brow and nodded slowly. "I guess. You can't give me orders that are beyond my position as the Oracle. And if you do, then it's the Spirit that follows them through, not me."

"Exactly." Apollo smiled. She was a quick learner, he had to hand it to her. _I wonder if she would learn other things just as quickly …_ Before he could continue to get deeper into that kind of thoughts and fantasies, he continued talking. "But you don't have to worry about not noticing it. The only time you'll lose control over your body is when the Spirit delivers a new prophecy."

Percy pursed her lips. "Okay, okay. I think I can live with that." She furrowed her brow, tilting her head to one side. "But that's not all of it, is it? This … connection I have with you as the Oracle … it's contains more, doesn't it?"

She was sharp-witted, too.

Apollo couldn't understand how Athena had ever been able to call Poseidon's daughter stupid. Percy had the ability to read so well between the lines that it impressed him greatly. He didn't know many people who could detect details so fast and process new things so well.

"Well spotted, sweetheart," he praised, smirking slightly when the redness in her cheeks became more prominent. "The thing is …" _You are mine._ But he couldn't say that. "The thing is the Oracle belongs to me. It has been mine for millennia, but that wasn't always the case. There were other entities that owned the Oracle before this power was passed over to me. The Spirit of Delphi is older than us, the Olympian Council. So the Spirit formed an emotional as well as a telepathic connection with its owner."

" _Oh._ " Percy's eyes widened slightly. "So that means … we have _that_?"

Apollo nodded. "I'm responsible for the Oracle. Especially for its safety and protection. If you're in any kind of danger, you just have to call for me in thought and I will appear. If you feel like you're in danger, you will – without noticing it – share your emotions with me so that I can sense when you feel threatened. You won't have it under control at first. Sometimes, you will randomly send out emotions that are strong enough to reach me. This connection was created by the Spirit, because it wanted to provide protection and safety for itself. The Spirit can't defend itself on its own. Only the body that holds it within, and its owner – me – can do that."

"Wow," Percy said, her head spinning. "That's quite a bit of information." She took a deep breath and turned to him with a serious expression. "But will it be just me? Or could it happen that I, too, sensed your feelings?"

She noticed him tensing, barely visible but it happened nonetheless, and frowned as though he had forgotten to remember that. "I've got enough control not to share my feelings with you. But … yes, theoretically it's possible. You could feel my emotions. But as I said; I've got too much self-control to let that happen."

Percy nodded slowly, turning her gaze away from him.

She honestly didn't what to think of it all. All that new knowledge, the sudden responsibility that was put onto her shoulders … it was frightening. It was frightening to know that there was a Spirit older than the Olympians lurking inside her. It was scary to know that Apollo could perhaps feel what she felt. It was frightening to know that she and Apollo were connected with each other in a way she had no control over. A connection that went in both directions – a connection that affected her as the Oracle and him as her owner. And a connection that did strange things to her heart and body and affected her as a woman and him as a man.

Apollo sighed softly, studying her side profile. She had lowered her gaze to her hands which she had folded together in her lap.

"I think it's better if you would stay at Camp for the next week. That way Chiron can notice if something goes wrong, or if you recite a prophecy. And then –"

"No," Percy interrupted.

For the second time.

He gave her an annoyed look. This girl always managed to anger him by interrupting him in the middle of his sentences. Somehow he had to break her of that fucking habit.

"What do you mean _No_?"

Percy had to keep herself from rolling her eyes as she saw the offended expression on his face. Of course, he was pissed off because she'd dared to interrupt him again.

"Look, Lord Apollo, I promised my mother to come home tomorrow," she said, sighing. "I didn't want to become the Oracle. If I could, I'd undo it instantly. But if there's something I learned in the past years, then it's this – the main thing is that I'm not dead. I'm alive. And I'm still, well … _me._ I don't like this whole oracle-y stuff, but I get that I'll have to get used to it. I wanna go on with my life which means that I don't want to stay at Camp all the time, waiting for some prophecy so that Chiron can report it. Besides, I really want to see my mom again."

Apollo cocked his eyebrows, and for a moment Percy thought she had managed to _really_ piss him off, but then she discovered the amusement dancing in his eyes.

"You _do_ remember that you're currently talking to an all-powerful god, sweetheart?"

She smiled dryly. "And you _do_ remember that me and following the orders of gods are not such mixy things?"

 _Sassy, little thing._

He leaned back in his armchair with his arms folded across his chest while studying her in amusement. She withstood his gaze just as stubbornly. It was the thing Apollo had felt attracted to from the beginning, even before he'd had met her. Her sassiness, her dry humor … the fire in her eyes caused a rush of adrenaline to race through his body, making his heart pump his ichor through his veins faster than ever before. Nevertheless, Percy seemed to restrain the fire within her, seemed to keep it in check, because she _did_ remember that she was talking to a god and that he could burn her with his gaze in a matter of seconds. Apollo wouldn't do that, though, no matter how sassy she might get with him. He was curious. He wanted to know what it would look like if she'd let go of the fire she was so hard trying to hold back.

"I think that can be arranged," he eventually said, smiling. "You have my permission to go home tomorrow."

"Thank you," she said dryly, but the little smile around her lips showed that she was truly thankful.

As she turned her head a little too quickly, the throbbing became sharper, causing her to grimace again and hiss slightly, her hand flying up to rub her temples.

Apollo frowned and leaned forward. "Headache?"

When she blinked at him, slightly nodding, he leaned more forward and stretched out his hand. "Hold still, Percy."

She caught her breath when she noticed how far he'd leaned toward her; that he had stretched out his hand. She could smell his aftershave and _his own_ smell that was noticeable beneath it – sunshine, summer rain, and pine. It involuntarily clouded all her senses.

He gave her a reassuring smile, his dimples showing in his cheeks. It practically flooded her panties. As he put his hand onto her forehead, Percy exhaled the air piled up in her lungs. She tried not to look at his beautiful face as he worked his healing powers, and focused on other things. The fabric of his white shirt, the collar of his jacket … her eyes wandered upward on their own accord. Over his strong, golden neck, his pronounced Adam's apple which moved briefly as he swallowed hard, over his chiseled jaw.

"Getting better?" Apollo hummed as Percy met his eyes.

 _Exactly like molten gold._

She could even see some yellow, and orange, and red speckles in his irises, the colors of a sunset. She could see that he had a small scar in his right eyebrow. Could see the slight stubble covering his jaw and cheeks. A few strands of his golden hair fell to his forehead. And she could swear that, for a brief moment, his eyes flickered down to her lips.

"Yeah," she replied softly as he eventually pulled his hand away but didn't lean back. She touched her forehead with her fingertips, feeling her skin tingle from his touch. Her headache was gone. "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled mischievously.

The smile, however, disappeared when he heard frantic steps approaching the door, and shortly afterwards her friends stormed in. Percy gave a jump. Apollo leaned back and sat upright so no-one would notice how close to each other they had been.

While her friends mobbed around her, telling her how happy they were to see her awake, Apollo watched her thoughtfully. Yes, he was pissed off that her friends had chosen the worst timing to look after her as they had destroyed the moment that had been between them. So far, he had only imagined how it would feel being that physically close to her; close enough to figure out her smell. Apollo smiled to himself. Now he knew it. She smelled like the ocean, like vanilla and peaches. Like a fresh breeze on the coast.

He didn't know why the Spirit of Delphi had chosen Percy, but it had to be something. Some mystery, something about her that had attracted the Spirit. Apollo had yet to find it out. After all, he was the god of prophecies. There was nothing that could stay hidden long from him.

When Percy glanced at him, giving him a grateful smile, he felt his ichor welling up. Percy moved something deep inside him, something he didn't think he could ever move back. She was like an open book to him, but apparently he had to learn how to read between the lines to really get and understand her. But before he could do _that_ , he had to inform his immortal, all-powerful, insane family that there was a new Oracle in town; that Percy Jackson was the new Oracle.

Apollo groaned inwardly.

 _That_ was going to be so much fun.

.

.

.

Several hours later, Percy stepped out to the porch with two cups of cocoa. Annabeth was already sitting there. The blonde had huddled down on one of the chairs Chiron, Grover, and Dionysus were usually sitting on when they played one of their games. Some empty cans of coke were still standing on the small round table next to it. Dionysus never bothered to throw them away. The Harpies keeping the Camp clean had already complained about it several times, but Dionysus always waved them off, ignoring their complaints.

Annabeth lifted her head as she noticed Percy and the cup that was being held toward her. She took it with a smile.

"Thanks.

"You're welcome."

Percy sat down onto the chair next to Annabeth, pulling the blanket she had taken with her tighter around herself before taking a small sip of her cocoa. Almost eight hours had passed since her conversation with Apollo. Now it was starting to dawn. Along with the pale crescent moon, some stars were already appearing in the slowly darkening sky. The demigods and cyclops had finished their work a few hours ago, but all the tools, wooden boards, and bricks were still outside. Percy knew that most of the campers were in their cabins by now.

"Today was a pretty big day for you, huh?" Annabeth broke the silence.

Percy wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, smiling sarcastically. "You make it sound like today has been either my wedding or my funeral."

"You know what I mean, Seaweed Brain."

"Wise Girl," Percy replied immediately, making them both laugh softly. Even in fifty years from now, they would probably still insult each other that way. "You're right. It was a rather … exciting day. I still think it's all a dream and tomorrow I'll wake up and find that everything is still the same, you know?" She stared down into her cup, watching the cocoa sweep back and forth. "I don't know how to handle it, Annabeth. I'm still … _me,_ but … I don't know." She rubbed her hand across her face. "My thoughts are a mess."

Annabeth reached out, putting her hand on Percy's forearm. Percy couldn't see any pity in her gray eyes. Pity was something she didn't need. She just wanted someone to talk to without being afraid to be condemned. Annabeth was that person.

"I gotta admit, it was really frightening when the whole shit started. I can't imagine how crappy it must have been for you."

Percy grimaced and took another sip of her cocoa. "Honestly? It was pretty damn scary … it still is in some way."

"And it takes away a lot of opportunities from your future life, doesn't it?"

Of course, Annabeth knew about Percy's wishes for the future; knew that her best friend wanted more than being hunted by monsters for a lifetime and hiding in the Camp. She wanted to have a real life like a real woman – college, career, marriage, children, everything almost every girl wished for.

Percy nodded, sighing. Naturally, she had already thought of that. She knew that, as the Oracle, she could no longer have what she had always wanted because of some stupid laws. Because she had to stay a virgin, and pure, and innocent.

 _Innocent my ass._

"You know, I wouldn't mind being the Oracle if those side effects didn't exist. I'm not allowed to get involved romantically with someone. I'm not allowed to get sexually active. I'm not allowed to marry. I'm not allowed to have children. I'm not allowed to feel and live like a woman. I have to sit here and spit out prophecies. If I think about it, it sounds like a rather lonely life."

Frustrated, Percy leaned her head against Annabeth's shoulder who let her words wander through her head before gasping in horror. Percy furrowed her brow, looking at Annabeth who was staring at her with wide eyes. "You're gonna die a virgin, Percy!"

Grinning inwardly, Percy decided to play along and widened her eyes as well while putting a hand to her chest in over-dramatic shock. "It's horrible, isn't it?"

It didn't take them long until they both started to laugh as they no longer could stay serious. When they calmed down, Percy put her head back on her best friend's shoulder. "I didn't want it. I mean, I didn't put my signature under that life-long contract. If I could, I'd undo it." She sighed loudly. "But I guess I'll have to learn to live with it. I will get used to it. Perhaps it won't be so bad anymore after a while. I mean, my life's not over – no matter how lonely it'll get in a couple of years when all of you will marry and have your own families. I'll just be the awesome virgin aunt."

Annabeth chuckled. "Who says that I will ever marry and have children?"

"Aw, c'mon." Percy rolled her eyes, playfully pushing the blonde. "We'll get you a hot guy. Then I will live my love life through you."

"Well, you've got some ideas."

Percy smiled meekly and took a sip of her cocoa before she placed the cup onto the table next to her. She remembered her conversation with Apollo and what had followed when he'd worked his healing powers on her. There was always a slight reminder in the back of her head when she was with him – he was a god; she was a mortal, a demigoddess. Now it came with the addition that she was the Oracle and he was theoretically her boss.

It all was just such a big mess.

Maybe tomorrow everything would look different, even though Percy doubted it. But at least she would see her mother again, and her mom was the one who always managed to keep all of her fears away for a little while.

.

.

.

When the gods finally arrived in the throne room, Apollo sat upright and clasped the armrests of his golden throne so tightly that his knuckles turned white. All of them gave him curious looks while they took their rightful seats; after all, he had been the one who had asked his father to gather them all for a council meeting. That was a rare occasion considering the fact that Apollo was the one who cared least about their council meetings.

It had to be something big.

Something of great importance.

They all knew instantly.

"So," Zeus began after having made sure that everyone was sitting, and focused his glare at Apollo, "You asked for a council meeting, son. I think you owe us all an explanation of what moved you to do so, don't you think?"

Apollo took a deep breath. He was well aware of the looks that were directed toward him. They were staring at him in curiosity and suspicion.

"Something happened in the Camp this morning," he started slowly, noticing how the gods sat upright. When something happened in Camp Half-Blood which was significant enough that one of them asked for a council meeting, it was usually something very big. A change of life. "My oracle has a new body. It is healed."

It was so silent in the throne room that one could have heard a pin fall. The gods exchanged incredulous glances with each other before directing their eyes toward Apollo again, impatiently waiting for him to continue.

Zeus narrowed his eyes and ran a hand through his beard. "And why did you not tell us earlier, son? You know best from all of us what power the Oracle holds, what knowledge it has. So why didn't you inform us earlier that your Oracle is prepared to take a new vessel?" Zeus' gaze became sharper, more paranoid. "Are you planning on doing something, Apollo?"

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Chill, pops, I'm not planning to overthrow you with the help of my Oracle. The thing is – I didn't know. It happened this morning when I felt it, and then I went to the Camp immediately. Chiron and the campers can tell you the same story if you want prove."

"How couldn't you have known about it, Apollo?" Athene asked disbelievingly.

"Well, I don't know, okay?" He huffed. "I usually know years before it happens, but this time there was nothing. No suspicion, no hint, absolutely nothing. I want to figure it out, but currently I can't do anything else than wait and see how things will go."

There was silence again as the gods thought about his words. Apollo clenched his jaw, feeling impatience rise within him. He wanted to get over it as quickly as possible. Zeus was paranoid as usual, which was no surprise, and the others didn't seem to know what to think of it. The Oracle was not their responsibility, but they all were aware of its power.

Apollo glanced at Hermes. He was staring into space with a stiff expression. They all knew that he still couldn't get over of what the Spirit of Delphi did to May Castellan. It was a weakness among all gods. Sometimes, there were things they couldn't get over, because they were holding on too tightly. When Apollo glanced at Hades, he noticed that the elder god was staring at the ground with a pondering expression. However, the god of the dead seemed to feel his gaze as he slowly lifted his head, looking at him with narrowed eyes. Apollo gave Hades a nod to tell him that he no longer blamed him for what he did to the Oracle.

"Who is it?" Poseidon asked, looking skeptically at Apollo. "Who's the new Oracle?"

Apollo sighed tiredly. "It's your daughter, Poseidon. It's Percy."

Again there was silence, but this time it didn't last too long. As soon as the words reached Poseidon, he jumped up and reached for his trident that was starting to glow green, just like his eyes.

" **HOW?** " He bellowed.

Thunder followed, and all eyes were on Zeus again who had also jumped up. "Sit down, Poseidon, and calm yourself! It won't do us any good if you cause an earthquake somewhere among the mortals again."

Poseidon exhaled loudly, narrowing his eyes as his gaze darted back and forth between Zeus and Apollo. Finally, he nodded and took his rightful seat. "So you want to tell me, Apollo," Poseidon growled, scowling at the Sun God, "that my daughter is the Oracle of Delphi? And you had no idea? My daughter shouldn't carry such a burden so shortly after the war! She has no idea what this means for her, what is taken away from her because of that!"

Apollo had the feeling that Percy was very aware of what that meant to her and what was forbidden for her now. If there was someone strong enough to be the Oracle, then it would be Percy. Without a doubt.

"I have to object, Uncle," Artemis said with a frown. "Your daughter is a strong woman. I think she's going to manage being the Oracle without any considerate problems."

"I gotta say, the girl somehow always manages to shake things up," Ares piped in, his voice clouded with amusement. "I raise my hat to her."

Zeus let it thunder again, causing everyone to turn to him again. He stroked his beard while he mused, "The most important thing is that we keep an eye on her. We can't allow her to turn against us now that she's the Oracle. So I assume, we have to wait and watch."

"She won't!" Apollo replied in frustration. "She's just the Oracle, not the fucking daughter of Kronos. There is no reason for her to turn against us or abuse her power in some way."

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Aphrodite staring at him curiously as she made her nails and listened intently to the argument.

Apollo knew he would destroy the armrests of his throne if he clung to them a little more tightly. But this shit had anger rising inside him. Percy had saved Olympus from Kronos and his forces. Wasn't that enough for his father, for all of them? Wasn't that the ultimate proof that they could trust her? He didn't like the way his father was talking about her – as though she were a threat, as though she had to be eliminated.

"It's getting ridiculous," Hades snarled, looking at Zeus and Poseidon. Hera who was in between them was rubbing her temples in irritation. "Brothers, I will now repeat Apollo's words – chill! Zeus, the girl has saved us from our father and shown her loyalty to Olympus more than once. Poseidon, it's not Apollo's fault. You can put the blame on the Spirit of Delphi."

Apollo had to remember to write Hades a thank-you-haiku.

Zeus and Poseidon didn't seem to know how to respond to that as they exchanged grim looks.

"Fine," Zeus muttured sullenly. "We'll vote now. Who's for keeping an eye on Percy Jackson?"

Athena, Hera, Demeter, Hephaestus, and Zeus himself raised their hand.

"Who's for letting her live her life in peace?" Zeus asked with resignation as he realized that he was outvoted.

Apollo, Artemis, Hades, Hestia, Ares, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Hermes raised their hand.

"What about you, Poseidon?"

The Sea God muttured grimly, "I'm abstaining."

After Zeus had said a few other words, the council meeting was dissolved. As the gods gradually teleported away, Apollo stayed in his throne and smiled triumphantly to himself. He was relieved that the whole theater was finally over, and it had gone better than he'd imagined. At least, no heads had been busted, even though Poseidon had left very unsatisfied.

The hardest thing was past him.

He knew that Percy would be left alone, but he also knew that his family, especially Poseidon, would be keeping an eye on _him_ from now on.


	5. The Show Must Go On

**Title:** Eyes On Fire

 **Rating:** M

 **Warnings:** Smut (Graphic sex scenes), Coarse Language, Violence, Mature Themes.

 **Summary:** Fem!Percy/Apollo. _"I'd rather be in Tartarus with you than in Elysium without you."_ Rachel Elizabeth Dare isn't the Oracle of Delphi. Persephone Jackson, the daughter of Poseidon, is. And for the first time Apollo truly regrets that his Oracle has to stay a virgin forever, because all he ever wanted to do with Percy, since the time they met, was throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his bedroom. But well, maybe she can help him find a loophole in those rules.

 **Genre:** Romance / Drama.

 **Author's Note:** _On my profile, you can find the links leading to the story's cover and banner, and the polyvore site where I create Percy's outfits, what she's wearing and so on. Have fun reading, guys!_ _ **Please let me know what you think about it, okay?**_ _Reviews feed my muse and inspiration, so updates could happen ever faster. Also, I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes, but English just isn't my native language!_

Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews, and favorites, and follows. It means a lot to me and I truly appreciate all of it! I hope you like this chapter as well, even though there's no direct Apollo-Percy-interaction involved. One of you also asked me when the smut would start. You've got to be patient, my dear readers. It will happen, I promise, but things have yet to develop between Apollo and Percy. It's a slow burn, I know, but please stick with me! :)

In response to the guest reviewer: I'm sorry that I bit back the way I did, but … the way you have written your previous comment was just really rude and not what I would call constructive, you know? If you want to leave criticism, then please do it actually in a way that respects the author, that is constructive and polite like maybe _'Hey there, I like your story, but there are some things I have to point out that don't feel right to me'_ and then it's really not a problem at all. But you basically just went there and insulted my character, so it's just natural that I reacted the way I did. I just know that – from my previous works on German fanfiction – that there's nothing more that's appreciated than respect to a writer's work, even though it's just a hobby. I'm happy you like the story anyway (if just a little), but I have to say that I get the feeling that people always focus so much on Poseidon when he really wasn't much of an influence to Percy's character. He wasn't there in his childhood. People always seem to forget about Sally, the sweet, kind woman who raised Percy on her own, and expect Percy to be like his father when it's actually his mom that has been the biggest influence in his life, the woman who set an example of behavior and manners. So yeah, that's what I wanted to say about this. And character development takes time, and we're only at the fifth chapter yet. Besides, the first four ones were just a brush through the past and the entry point of the Oracle. There's still more to character development, especially in the sequel of this story (which is just the story of Percy's 'perfect' summer, like Riordan pointed it out, and how her and Apollo found to each other) where Percy gets through Tartarus, and her life after that – because _that's_ something that will open doors filled with angst. So, that's it, but thanks for reviewing anyway.

* * *

 **EYES ON FIRE**

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

the show must go on

* * *

 _close your eyes_

 _take it slow_

 _we will find a new place to go_

 _and if the stripes keep us apart_

 _i will write your name up in the stars_

 _keep myself close to you_

– america, by **XYLØ**

* * *

 **A** single tendril of hair got caught in her lashes.

Percy blinked a little dazed as she brushed it out of her face and pulled the sleeves of her sweatshirt up. She was standing in front of a large, shabby apartment block with walls that were covered in graffiti and countless balconies. The playground before her was completely empty, the grass yellowing. Only the swings were moving lightly and squeakily whenever a warm gust of wind swept across the dry ground. The air around her stank of gasoline and rust, in the distance she could hear the sounds of the city, the wild traffic of New York.

Sighing, Percy looked down at her ballet flats; her large, black bag was shouldered, in her right hand she was holding her purse. She usually didn't take a lot of things when she went to the Camp. Everything that was necessary and important was always already there. She had left the Camp about an hour ago to return home. The summer was slowly coming to an end, and soon all the schools and colleges would be reopened, now that the summer holidays were almost over.

When Percy finally crossed the tiny playground, coming closer toward the door, she fished her keys out of her bag with trembling hands. It took her some attempts until the lock finally clicked, allowing her to push the heavy squeaking door open. Even on a bright day, the stairwell was quite dark, the small windows the only thing that let in some sparse sunrays illuminating the dust particles in the air. Percy sighed quietly as the metal door behind her fell closed. She tightened her grip around her bag and pressed the button bringing the elevator down. The building had ten floors, and it actually wouldn't take much of her to walk all those stairs up, but Percy wasn't quite in the mood to carry herself and her bags up to the eighth floor where she and her mother lived.

Just as she leaned against the wall next to the elevator door, one of the three doors located downstairs opened. Mr Kirk, an elderly man in his mid-fifties, left his apartment. Or more specifically; he staggered right out of the door, holding two bottles of beer tightly against his chest. Percy frowned slightly, crossing her arms in discomfort when Mr Kirk finally saw her and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Miss Jackson," he muttured. "Home again I see."

Percy didn't respond to that, but he no longer seemed to care about her. The old man turned away and took a deep belt from one of his beers as he murmured something into his unkempt, matted beard. He put a cigarette between his lips and lit it in the stairwell before finally leaving, just as the elevator door slid aside. Percy squeezed herself into the small, narrow elevator and pressed the button that had a barely legible _8_ on it. As the door slid closed, the elevator jolting, she leaned against the wall with a quiet sigh.

 _Home sweet home._

Upon arriving at the eighth floor, Percy gripped her bags a little tighter and left the elevator with a string of curses when one of them got caught in between the elevator door and the door frame. Her slim fingers closed firmly around the keys, her eyes drifting toward the door leading into her and her mother's apartment. She had to hold back a smile when she saw their name scribbled down on the small plate next to the door – _Jackson._ It was her own writing, and Percy could still remember how enthusiastically she wrote down the name many years ago.

When she stuck the key into the lock, pushing the door open, she was greeted by a delicious smell. She could hear the sounds of the TV from the living room and the sizzle of whatever her mother was cooking. Smiling, she quietly closed the door behind herself, knowing that her mother hadn't heard her coming in. Putting her bags down, Percy slipped out of her shoes and walked toward the kitchen that was just two doors away from her. She leaned against the doorframe as her lips stretched into a grin, watching her mother rushing through the kitchen while some song came from the radio that stood on the windowsill.

"Hello, mother," Percy said, causing her mom to jump and turn around with a hand on her chest.

Sally's eyes widened as she saw her daughter leaning against the doorframe, looking nothing like the girl that had left her home almost a year ago to go back to Camp.

"Oh, Percy," she cried out, rushing out to engulf her daughter into a tight hug that only mothers were able to give. Smiling, Percy put her arms around her mother, breathing in the scent that would always be her home. Her mom smelled like chocolate cake and blue cookies, like everything in the world that was precious, and warm, and loving. She smelled like Percy's childhood.

Blinking back the tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes, Percy hugged her mother a little tighter, knowing that finally she was able to forget everything – the war, the struggles, the Oracle, Apollo – and just felt at home for a few minutes.

.

.

.

After having had a proper greeting from her mom and a long shower, Percy sat down on the windowsill in her room that was held in white and blue colors, staring out of the window. The room wasn't overly large, but she had decorated it in a manner that seemed to make the room bright and light, with a lot of small details that showed her love for her room. She was still wearing the short, white bathrobe she had thrown over after her shower, and her hair was still wet. Percy hadn't bothered to dry it herself or work her water powers on it.

Outside, thick clouds covered the sky, making her wonder subconsciously what had put a twist in Zeus's knickers again. The streets were almost empty; the exception was a young woman pushing a stroller and an elderly couple walking along the pavement. They were holding hands and smiling at each other like they were still young and freshly in love.

Percy ran a hand through her wet hair and turned her back on the window as she slipped down from the sill. She kneeled down in front of her bag, unzipping it to take all her clothes and things out, putting it onto her bed with the intention of sorting it into her wardrobe later when she would go to bed. Taking out clean underwear, a black tee, a pair of shorts, and knee socks, she quickly changed out of her bathrobe.

Upon leaving her room and discovering that the door handle was loose, Percy was again reminded of the bad condition their apartment was in. It was small, though sufficing for just her and her mother, but sometimes the smallness of the rooms drove Percy mad. The neighborhood was bad – kids her age that were on the road of drugs, people who were unemployed and had debts that would continue to be unsolved through generations, drunks, drug-addicts. Percy shook herself in disgust as she remembered the guy her mother had been once married to. He had been one of them, and she'd always called him _Smelly Gabe_ because of his horrible smell.

True, money couldn't buy happiness, but at times Percy wished more of it. Maybe then she could afford a better apartment for her and her mother, though the prices were staggering in Manhattan. Her mom and she barely managed to get through the shit at the end of the month when the money became especially tight. That was the reason why, when she was home, she jobbed at a small coffee shop in Brooklyn. Her heart leapt when she remembered that she and Apollo had met there one time, with the excuse that he just wanted to ask her about her welfare.

 _Gods,_ Percy thought as his golden eyes and his cocky smirk flashed in her thoughts. It felt as though he was practically living in her head, considering the amount of time Percy spent with thinking about the sun god. It was a bad thing to do, but no matter what she did ... she couldn't chase away the thought of him, the flame that lingered in her mind.

"Oh my, this looks so delicious," Percy sighed as she entered the kitchen, finding a plate full of food standing on the table.

Sally turned around from the hearth. "Well, then sit down, honey. I hope you're really hungry, because there's also a sheet pan with cinnamon and Nutella snails in the oven."

Percy let out a delighted laugh, because there was nothing that could make her mouth water like cinnamon and chocolate. She went around the small table, pressing a kiss on her mother's cheek. "I'm literally starving. And you are absolutely the best mother and the best cook."

"Oh, quit toadying to me," Sally laughed as she sat down opposite from her daughter, watching her with a warm look in her eyes. "So tell me, how has it been at the Camp? Chiron told me that the rebuilding is going well, that everyone is on the road to recovery."

"He's right," Percy replied as she slowed down with eating and impaled a potato on her fork, avoiding her mother's eyes. She knew that there was nothing she could ever hide from her mom, because she always knew when something was wrong with Percy. And she seemed to sense that now, too. "I mean, everyone is moving on with their lives. We've had funerals for the dead and … now that the threat is gone, they all try to look forward to a better future."

Sally remained silent for a while where she just watched her daughter. "And how are you, honey? How are _you_ feeling?"

"Well, I'm just peachy," Percy said a little too fast as her fingers clasped tightly around the fork.

She stared down at her plate and tried not to show how uncomfortable she felt about the direction the conversation was going into. But she had known that her mother would want to talk about it, about the war, about how she was feeling. It was hard, though. Percy didn't like to talk about it, about her feelings. Telling aloud how she felt was a problem for her, because in the past time she had grown so used to being strong and unshaken that she'd had developed a mechanism against telling what was really on her mind. She liked to deal with her emotions when she was alone, when no-one else could see the struggle.

"Don't lie to me, Persephone."

Percy heaved a sigh. When her mother used her full name, it meant that the game was on, that she would accept no excuses. She set her fork aside and ran her palms over her face in weariness before she lifted her head to face her mom. "I'm … I don't know, mom. It's kinda hard talking about this shit. I'm trying to deal with all that, trying to be strong for the others. I guess I'm just … gods, I don't even know how to put it into words. It's just …"

"It's just what?" Her mother asked, looking at her with sadness as she realized that her daughter was no longer the little, innocent girl that would run straight to her when she was feeling hurt, asking her for a kiss and blue cookies.

"It just that …" Percy pressed her lips into a thin line, trying to sort the words she wanted to say so badly, but the fear of unacceptance was too strong. It was ridiculous, Percy was aware of that. Her mother would accept all of her, always, no matter how badly Percy screwed up. "It's just that at times I still have nightmares about it, you know? And when I wake up, I have this … this fucking pressure in my chest like … I don't know … like I haven't done my best. Like I failed, because I couldn't save everyone."

She wanted to explain, wanted to say so much more, but she couldn't. Gods, she didn't want to burden her mother with her problems.

"Oh, honey," Sally sighed in sadness, reaching over the table to hold her daughter's hand that still felt so fragile and small in her own like on the day she was born. "Have you talked to your friends about it? Annabeth? Maybe Chiron?"

Percy shook her head. "No, I haven't. It's just …" _they wouldn't understand, I don't want to bother them, don't want to scare them and make them worry._ "I don't want to bother them with that, you know. They have a lot of moving on to do, too. Time is probably the only thing that will help right now. I just need some more time."

She also didn't want them to see her being weak. They all seemed to expect her to be strong, to be the great heroine they assumed her to be, and she just didn't want them to see their heroine lose her shit right in front of their eyes. _It was so much easier to hide your own emotions and what's going on in your mind than to show it._

"Percy, I hate it," Sally said quietly as the demigoddess in front of her continued to eat. "I hate what it has done to you. I know, the camp is safe, but it has forced you to grow up far too quickly. You're only eighteen, but you already know how to fight in hand-to-hand combat and how to use various weapons. That's not something a girl your age should know. I wish you could just have a normal life, I wish I could take you out of there, but …"

"But that would be suicidal," Percy finished her sentence with a tired smile, "I know, mom. I wish that sometimes, too. But reality is a really fucking ugly thing, and Camp is the safest place for me. And it's safer for you if I'm not around you all the time, you know that."

"But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Percy just smiled wearily, slowly chewing on a piece of meat. Her lungs clenched painfully when she saw that her mom was blinking back the tears, standing up to hug her daughter again, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you, baby girl."

"Love you too, mom," Percy muttered softly, enjoying the warm embrace of her mother. "But there's something else I have to tell you."

Sally released her slowly from her hug and studied her with critical eyes. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"Oh gods, no," Percy laughed quietly, shaking her head in amusement as she pushed her now empty plate away from her, feeling full and sated. Though, she still could devour some sweets, of course. "No, I'm not pregnant, mom. Don't worry about that."

"Good," Sally responded in relief. "What is it then?"

"How about we take your delicious pastries and move into the living room? I think, _The Mentalist_ is about to start in a few minutes, and then we can talk about what I have to tell."

 _The Mentalist_ was their favorite TV-show. Percy and her mom had developed a tradition that every time a new season was aired, they would watch it together. So after having left the kitchen with the pastries and two cups of tea, Percy and Sally made themselves comfortable on the couch that was right in front of the TV. The living room was – like every other room in the apartment – small and pretty narrow, with only a couch and a coffee table, two armchairs, the TV, and a closet.

"So, fire away," Sally said, putting the plates down on the coffee table while Percy switched the TV on, "What happened?"

Percy set the remote control aside and took her cup with both hands, softly blowing on the hot drink. "What do you know about the Oracle of Delphi, mom?"

"Not much, I guess." Sally frowned. "I know that it speaks prophecies, but that's all I remember from books and myths. Why? What's with that Oracle?"

"Okay," Percy exhaled slowly. "The Oracle is a spirit that only takes hold of females. The spirit speaks its prophecies through the body of a female, and when she dies, it automatically takes possession of another girl. It's basically a cycle. The Oracle at our Camp had been placed under a curse that prevented the Spirit to leave the body and take another. It was trapped in this body for more than sixty years. But well … the curse has been lifted. And yesterday it finally took a new body, the body of a demigoddess."

Sally remained silent as the realization hit her, as she understood what her daughter was trying to tell her. Her eyes widened. "Percy …" she said slowly, "This oracle … whose body has it taken?"

"Mine." Percy smiled dryly. "I'm the new Oracle of Delphi, mom."

Sally mother blinked. "Okay … okay, I just …" She lifted her cup to her mouth, then faltered. "No, no … I need something stronger than tea."

Percy watched her mother with worry as she stood up and walked into the kitchen. She heard the clutter of the cupboards, and perked her eyebrows up when her mom returned with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Pouring the whiskey, Sally mumbled something to herself, and then passed the glass over to Percy.

"I know, honey, you're not twenty-one yet, but I'll allow you this one today; so don't get used to it," Sally explained upon seeing Percy's perplexed expression.

"Okay," Percy mumbled in astonishment, taking the glass.

They both downed the whiskey in one go. Percy shook herself at the taste as heat started to spread through her chest. She put the glass down on the table, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and reached over to snatch a Nutella snail from one of the plates.

"How did that happen?" Her mother asked in shock. "I mean, can't you do something against it? There has to be a way out if it, right?"

Percy sighed. "Mom, as much as I want to, there's no way. I already asked, but … it was explained to me that's it's a life-long contract that just can't be ripped apart in the middle. There's no way out for me. It just happened. I have to live with that now. And I mean, it's not evil or something. I'm still a human being, I'll just spit out green mist every now and then and recite mysterious prophecies no person understands. The only thing that bothers me is …"

"Is what?" Her mother seemed to catch up on the fact that something was wrong.

"Well, I can't date," Percy explained with a sigh. "I mean, I don't know about that one, but it's not just that. I'm not allowed to be romantically involved or have … well, I'm not sure about the first part, but I know that I can't have sexual intercourse. And that I can't marry and have children and all the other things that come along with it. I mean, it basically forbids me to live like a woman."

Sally rubbed her back of her hand over her forehead, feeling a major headache approaching. "But you're … allowed to meet guys and go on dates? As far as I know, the Oracle only has to stay virgin. It doesn't mean that you can't date, does it?"

Percy furrowed her brow as she realized how shady the thing actually was. Apollo hadn't explained _that_ to her. But as long as she stayed virgin, she _could_ have somewhat of a love-life. Still, she wasn't very sure. And she certainly didn't want to test it out by doing something that would only provoke Apollo's anger at the end. She knew exactly how bad it could end if she awoke a god's wrath.

"I actually … don't know," she admitted in surprise. "Lord Apollo … he's the Oracle's boss in some way … well, he hasn't told me anything about that part of the deal."

Sally frowned upon noticing that her daughter's cheeks reddened when coming to speak about the sun god. Her eyes had lighted up.

"Lord Apollo, huh?" Sally muttered. "Well, why don't you talk to him about it, honey? Ask what options you have?"

Percy's eyes widened in horror. Just the idea of talking with Apollo about her sex life and what options she did have in that aspect was utterly embarrassing and … arousing. Gods, she definitely had to keep him out of her thoughts. It didn't do her any good, because her lady bits seemed to have a brain of their own when it came to Apollo.

"Gods, no!" Percy exclaimed. "There's no way I'm going to talk to him about _that_. Just … no, no way!"

Sally looked surprised at seeing her daughter burst out like that. "Okay, it's fine. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, honey. It was simply a suggestion."

"I know," Percy sighed softly, running a hand through her hair that was only wet at the tips now. "Thanks for it, but I'll have to find some other way. How about we just watch our TV-show now? I really want to learn more about Red John and the new case they're on."

.

.

.

Upon the floating island of Delos, an auburn haired woman looked out from the shore, to the sea below the island.

The white gown she was wearing was slightly moving around her in the breeze that was coming from the north. She was a beautiful woman, with light green eyes, her skin tanned and glowing. And her name was Leto, the Titaness of motherhood, even though she was best known as the mother of Apollo and Artemis.

She heaved a sigh as she watched the sea below her from afar, the way the waves were crashing beautifully against the shore. Delos, the isle that wasn't connected to either sea or land, was the home of her children. The place where they had been born. Even though it happened thousands of years ago, Leto was still able to remember it as though it happened only yesterday. Now her children were grown-up gods – two of the most powerful and most known at that.

"Mother?"

At the familiar, masculine voice behind her, Leto turned, and smiled at her son who was standing a few feet away from her. Opening her arms, she was almost immediately engulfed in a hug by her loving son.

"I'm happy to see you, Apollo," she said with a smile after he pulled back. She had to lean up to kiss his forehead as he was much taller than her. Oh, how she could remember when he'd been just a little boy, staring up at her in adoration. Or when he'd been a young god, eager to learn how to handle a bow and charming everyone with his blinding smile. Well, he still did that, but he was no longer a young, inexperienced god. He was more than that.

"How are you, mother?" Apollo asked while she took his arm in her own, beginning to walk with him along the shore.

Leto smiled at him. "I'm just fine, my son. Is your sister coming?"

The sun god sighed, his smile slowly fading. "She's … she's just busy. She takes her duties seriously."

"And you don't?" Leto asked, raising an eyebrow. But she'd known immediately when she'd seen that only Apollo came. He always found time to visit her, even when he was overly busy, but he always made time for her. Though, she was happy seeing him defend his sister. No matter how he seemed to be, for all his faults, he loved her and his sister dearly. "It doesn't surprise me, though … Artemis has always been her father's daughter."

Apollo didn't respond to that. The relationship between his sister and his mother had always been strained, even before he and Artemis had been made Olympians. No matter what all the myths and stories claimed, there had always been only two women Apollo had truly loved – one was his mother, the other was his sister. His former female lovers couldn't be called unconditional, pure love; nor could be his male lovers.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" He eventually asked in curiousness.

"I heard that your Oracle has a new body, my son," Leto answered, causing him to stop and turn around to look at her. Upon seeing his bewildered expression, she smiled and said, "Our world talks, you know. I heard it from the nymphs, though they don't know yet who the girl is that your Oracle has taken hold of."

Apollo heaved a sigh as he thought of Percy, remembering the curve of her lips and the way she smiled, and his heart clenched in longing. He saw her last yesterday, but by the Fates, he wanted to see her again so badly. He let out a puff of breath, even though it wasn't necessary for him to breathe. It was more of a reflex, and it allowed him to collect his thoughts. "It's true," he said quietly. "The Spirit has taken possession of a new body."

"Will you tell me who she is?" Leto asked with a frown as she noticed the sad undertone in his voice, even though he tried to hide it. But she, as his mother, knew him all too well to let something like that pass her.

"Her name's Persephone Jackson," Apollo sighed in wistfulness.

Leto raised her eyebrows in surprise and didn't try to hide her curiousness. "The daughter of Poseidon?"

Apollo nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's her."

And finally, Leto understood. She saw the soft smile that appeared on her son's lips as he talked about the girl, the way his eyes were gazing at the sea in longing.

 _Oh, my dear son,_ she thought in sadness, _you had to take the hard path._

The only thing she wanted for her son was happiness. She had seen him grieve too much and too often for his former lovers who had always died or walked away from him. She just wanted him to find someone who would take him as he was, who would give him the love he deserved. He wasn't a perfect being, she knew that. But even with his flaws, he was a good man. He knew that he could be extremely selfish at times, but he was the most genuine and honest person she knew of. He frequently allowed his temper to rule him, but he defended those he loved with a fierceness that was absolutely unrivaled. He had done a lot of mistakes, but he also had many good traits. And she was proud of him, proud of the man and the god he had become.

"Please be careful, my son," Leto said and raised a hand to caress his cheek, "I don't want you to suffer yet again."

"I know," Apollo said with a wry smile.

Upon looking into his eyes, she saw that he had already realized his own feelings and the depth of them.

.

.

.

Oh, how the mighty had fucking fallen.

Apollo drained his whiskey in a gulp and slammed the empty glass back on the scarred bar top.

Humans buzzed around him, laughing, talking, and making themselves at home in the club that he and his brothers had founded. It had been, in fact, a surprise to the gods when Apollo, Ares, and Hermes proudly announced at a council meeting a few months ago that they opened a night club in the heart of Manhattan. It turned into a place that quickly spread rumours, becoming very popular – for both mortals and other beings. Though, Apollo knew that his father or any of the other elder and more uptight gods (such as Hera, Athena, or Artemis) would never set a foot into the club.

He smiled to himself knowingly when two girls of about twenty smirked flirtatiously and giggled as they passed him. Apollo – used to such reactions from most females – couldn't help but look at them and smile back, wide and toothy. It worked like a damn charm as the two girls both stammered and stumbled away from him. Apollo snickered into the back of his hand and turned back to his glass.

 _Women._

"You found someone already?" a familiar voice asked behind him.

Apollo turned his head slightly to his right side and grinned when he saw Hermes sitting beside him at the bar. "Nah, not really. How 'bout you?"

Instead of answering, Hermes pointed left where a group of young women was talking and laughing in the corner. _Damn._ The girl Hermes was pointing at was a pretty, little thing with almond-shaped, dark eyes, blood-red lips, and a straight nose. She was almost too perfect which was a sad fact, because Apollo had never liked perfection. It was the little flaws, the misplaced details that made art and poetry so beautiful and aesthetic.

"Nice," he admitted, impressed, while raising his eyebrows. For a human woman she was definitely attractive.

"What's up, you two punks?" Ares flung his arms around the shoulders of his brothers who turned to him at the same time. Apollo stifled a laugh as he saw the almost already emptied bottle of vodka Ares was holding in his right hand and the two blonde girls that stood behind him giggling, dressed in skimpy dresses that left no place for imagination.

"Not bad," Hermes laughed as he, too, saw the girls. "What's their name?"

Ares grinned wickedly. "Britney and Mandy … they're fucking sisters."

"I'm wondering what Aphrodite is going to say about that," Apollo snickered, because every time she learned about Ares's affairs the goddess of love threw a tantrum and then gave her lover the cold shoulder.

However, Ares's grin became even more devious. "Oh, she's going to join in."

"Have fun, bro," Apollo grinned as he and Hermes slapped Ares on the back who in turn gave them a thumbs-up and turned away in order to give Britney and Mandy his full attention.

Hermes rose with a grin as well, and strolled over to the ladies he'd pointed at who abruptly fell silent, staring at him with wide, excited eyes. Apollo snickered quietly to himself, knowing how mortal women reacted to a god's presence. They were always ready to drop their fucking panties, as though their primal instincts reacted by command.

He had gone with Hermes to the bar in order to get a pretty squeeze, but the longer he sat there, the longer he looked for a girl that would pique his interest, the clearer it became to him that he sought for a special pattern – long, dark hair, pale skin, and green-blue eyes. He knew there were quite a few women who would fit in the description, but they weren't enough for him. The admiring glances from the women that sashayed past were welcome, but Apollo couldn't help compare every single one of them to Percy.

 _Hair wasn't dark enough, eyes weren't large enough, face wasn't as beautiful, tits weren't perky enough, ass wasn't ..._

"Fucking hell," he muttered, and drained his glass one more time in a single gulp. Apollo knew he had to get his thoughts out of the gutter, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. Apollo knew years ago that she'd grow into a gorgeous woman. And that she had. Holy shit how she had. And she made his head turn every time she simply did as much as look at him. At the beginning, Apollo hadn't been sure what exactly it was that he felt for her. He certainly had known that he was attracted to her – the lust rushing through him at every moment he saw her was enough to prove it; well, even if he was a god – he was still a red-blooded (or in his case, golden-blooded) male. Of course he wanted to have her beneath him. But there was something else. Something inside him called him to her in a way he could never explain.

Even then, in December 2007, he had known that he'd fall for when she became older. And he had now.

However, he knew that he couldn't take her _just like that,_ because neither the situation nor Percy was normal. First, he was an Olympian, and she was a demigoddess. All hell would break loose if his immortal, all-powerful family learned that he fucked a demigod. Especially so if she was the daughter of Poseidon. Poseidon personally would rip his dick off. Secondly, she was his Oracle now. She had to stay virgin, which was a thing he both hated and liked at the same time. Hated because he couldn't get a proper taste of her now. And liked because no other man could now get a shot of that body. And thirdly, Percy would never, ever get herself involved with a god. Of that, Apollo was sure.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as he noticed a movement next to him. With cocked eyebrows, Apollo looked at the young woman who had made herself comfortable beside him. She was an ordinary mortal, he recognized that instantly. Copper red curls were falling down around her face, a pair of almond-shaped grass-green eyes was smiling at him. She was dressed in a small, black dress with lace-trimmed, long sleeves and her slim legs ended in high heels that had the same color as her dress.

"Well, hello," Apollo greeted her, putting on his charming smile in an instant. Her hair wasn't long and wavy and dark enough, her eyes didn't have that mesmerizing, bright oceanic color, she wasn't small enough. Humans might have forgotten the ancient power of the gods, but that didn't mean that the gods had forgotten them.

 _We do love to play with you._

She brushed a few curls from her face, returning his smile, "Hi."

Apollo let his eyes roam quickly over the crowd, and when he realized that Hermes and his pretty lady were no longer present, he turned back to the ginger next to him. He spent some time with her, talking and finding out that her name was _Paige_. She was just another copy of Percy. The other woman Apollo had shared his bed with last time had had the name _Patricia,_ but her skin had been too tanned, her lips had been too thin. Although gods sired demigods almost regularly, it didn't mean that it was done out of love. Mostly they were inconsequential one-night-stands, women whose names were long forgotten. And while Apollo's children had mostly been created from one-night-stands, it didn't mean that he regretted their birth. He loved his kids, and sometimes it killed him a little bit inside that he wasn't allowed to answer them when they prayed to him, asking for advice or help.

 _Fucking ancient laws._

But the truth was that Apollo couldn't remember when he'd loved a woman the last time. When he had been _in_ love for the last time. He only knew that Percy was the first who had managed to touch his heart after a long time. But it didn't seem quite fair that everyone got their happy ending, did it? And him? What did he get? Lovers who died or were transformed into plants. Unrequited love that ran away from him.

Daphne who had never loved but despised him. Leucothea who had been killed by her sister out of jealousy. Marpessa who had chosen a mortal man over him. Cyrene who had born him two sons and died like all mortals, but not without having an affair with Ares. Hecuba who had born him a son, but only because of a prophecy that had foretold her a possible way out of the Trojan War. Cassandra who had left him, and who he had cursed in return. Coronis who had been pregnant with his child and yet had bonded to another man. Artemis had offered to kill her, but it was Apollo who had done it at the end (though, to his credit, he did save his child first). Creusa who had left their son alone in the forests. Acantha who he had turned into sun-loving herb.

Then there were his male lovers – Hyacinth who had been killed out of jealousy by Zephyrus, the god of the west wind. Cyparissus who had been filled with so much grief when his deer died that Apollo turned him out of pity in a weeping willow.

Apparently, fate didn't grant him such a thing as love, but then he thought of Percy. Maybe if she wouldn't have become the Oracle, things would look different, but damn it … Delphi just had to choose her. Apollo almost growled in frustration, because he couldn't think of any other way to sneak past those ancient rules.

"Sorry," he said, interrupting the redhead in her torrent of words, "I'm just really not in the mood right now."

She stopped abruptly, looking at him in shock, clearly not having expected this bluntness. But she recovered quickly, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she nodded and got up from her chair to walk away. Apollo couldn't really believe what he had done right now. He chuckled darkly to himself, knowing that no-one would believe him if he told that he rejected a night of hot sex, just because he was too smitten with Percy Jackson. The girl would be the death of him, he was sure of that.

He grabbed his black leather jacket and hung it loosely over his left forearm as he walked toward the elevators. His apartment, the place he stayed in when he visited the mortals, was located just above the night club. The blasting music suddenly became quiet when he stepped into the elevator whose walls were mirrors framed with gold and platinum. Apollo checked himself in the mirror, running a hand through his tousled, blond hair and smoothing out the black button-down shirt he was wearing, knowing that he looked as hot as always.

As soon as the elevator doors slid open, letting him enter his apartment, the lights turned on automatically. The furniture was held in black and golden colors, the wall opposite from where the white leather couch, his stereo equipment, and the huge flatscreen stood was a panorama window that allowed him an amazing sight on the skyline of Manhattan. The apartment was located on the tenth floor of the building, so he had an even more beautiful view. The open-plan kitchen was right in front of him, consisting of premium steel and marble. His bedroom and the bathroom were located above the living room, the golden circular staircase led into it.

Everything was modern and luxurious, and Apollo knew that most people would burst into tears when seeing his apartment, but to him it was absolutely nothing.

Apollo sat down on the edge of the large couch and threw his leather jacket over the armrest. He remembered the conversation he'd had with his mother earlier this day, and knew that she was aware of his feelings for Percy. She was the first who noticed it. But he'd made it pretty obvious to her, knowing that he could trust his mother in that matter. She wouldn't use it against him, wouldn't make fun of him, and wouldn't tell the others about it.

He wasn't used to spending the night alone, because there were always one or two females next to him in his bed. He absolutely loved sex, but it only mattered most to him when it was with the person that he had feelings for. Sex without feelings ... it was just never feeling right or fully satisfying. But procreation was programmed inside their very being, and gods felt it more intensely, so he did it anyway.

It was funny, really.

He always got what he wanted.

And only one glance had been enough to let Apollo know that he wanted Persephone Jackson all for himself. This time, however, he knew that he would never have the one thing what he wanted more than anything else.


	6. Green Eyes

**Title:** Eyes On Fire

 **Rating:** M

 **Warnings:** Smut (Graphic sex scenes), Coarse Language, Violence, Mature Themes.

 **Summary:** Fem!Percy/Apollo. _"I'd rather be in Tartarus with you than in Elysium without you."_ Rachel Elizabeth Dare isn't the Oracle of Delphi. Persephone Jackson, the daughter of Poseidon, is. And for the first time Apollo truly regrets that his Oracle has to stay a virgin forever, because all he ever wanted to do with Percy, since the time they met, was throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his bedroom. But well, maybe she can help him find a loophole in those rules.

 **Genre:** Romance / Drama.

 **Author's Note:** On my profile, you can find the links leading to the story's cover and banner, and the polyvore site where I create Percy's outfits, what she's wearing and so on. Have fun reading, guys! **Please let me know what you think about it, okay?** Reviews feed my muse and inspiration, so updates could happen ever faster. Also, I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes, but English just isn't my native language!

Again, I want to thank all of you for leaving behind reviews, follows, and favorites. I've reached over 100 reviews with only five chapters, and that's thanks to you all!

When I started writing this story, I didn't expect that it would receive such response, but I'm so fucking flattered. Thank you, really. Writing about Apollo and Percy has become my favorite pastime, and I just have soooo fucking much on my mind what those two will be going through. I'm so excited to write about them, even though my private life has become pretty demanding of me lately, but nevertheless I won't ever abandon this story. Ever. It just means too much to me.

And because I want to show you guys my gratitude for all your support and feedback, I'm now going to response to each of your questions at the end of each chapter. So if you want to know something particular involving this story or me or just what I have faintly in mind, drop a question! :) It doesn't matter if it's _'When will the smut start?'_ or _'What's your favorite color?'_ or _'Is the Heroes of Olympus series going to play a role in this?'_. Just ask whatever you want or let me know if you want something particular to happen in the following chapters.

Also, just to let you know, I have gone over the past chapters, correcting some mistakes in them while also adding some new things and a new scene at the beginning of the first chapter, kind of an intro. It's okay if you don't read it, it's nothing bad, but I thought I'd let you know. :)

* * *

 **EYES ON FIRE**

 **CHAPTER SIX**

green eyes

* * *

 _Why do I let you cross the line every time?_

 _Why do I stay if I know you're not mine?_

 _Ride on your skin, I know that love used to glow_

 _How can I let you go if I know I'm so close?_

– **Maybe,** by Alina Baraz & Galimatias

* * *

 **I** t was the delicious smell of tea and toast that woke Percy this morning. She rolled onto her back and blinked lazily, shifting slightly beneath her blankets as she brought her hands to her eyes to rub the sleep away. The curtains were drawn over the windows, but she was still able to feel the sunrays, warm and gentle, trying to reach her, trying to stroke her skin. Percy momentarily froze as the thought of Apollo trying to reach her through the sun crossed her mind, and she wondered immediately if he was watching her from afar in his sun chariot. The thought send a shiver down her spine, causing her lips to stretch into a smile.

After a while of just lying in bed and thinking about Apollo, thinking about everything and nothing, Percy climbed out of her warm bed and threw a quick glance at the alarm clock standing on her nightstand. It was ten in the morning, still a bit too early for her liking. It was one of her habits, one of her many quirks that some people could regard as being bad, but ultimately they were just her.

She could handle her fair share of booze.

She had three drawers of makeup in the bathroom.

She knew that she could get quite the mouth when feeling angered or provoked.

She ate lots of candy, especially chocolate; a bar of it never survived longer than five minutes with her.

And she liked to sleep long and good.

Throwing on her short, light blue night robe made of a material similar to silk, Percy left her room and went into the kitchen where she could already hear the radio playing. "Morning, mom," she said, raising her palm to her mouth to hide her small yawn. Her mother smiled at her as Percy stood on her tiptoes, reaching for a cup on the higher shelves. Sometimes, it frustrated her that she was as short as she was, because with her at only five foot two she just wasn't able to reach anything on the top shelves at the supermarket or somewhere else.

"Any plans for today, honey?" Sally asked with a smile, bringing her own cup of coffee to her mouth.

Percy put a teabag into her cup and furrowed her brow in thought. "Hmm, not really. Annabeth's still at Camp, so I'm pretty free today. Why are you asking? Do you have anything planned?"

"I thought we could go to the mall today if you'd like to, do some shopping."

"Oh, yes, please." Percy's eyes lighted up. Pouring water into her cup, she sat down at the table and grabbed a croissant that her mother had arranged on a plate, while dragging the teabag around in the cup. She'd never liked coffee. _Earl Grey_ was her drink to go in the mornings. "Mall sounds awesome, and I wanna check out the new shop they've opened there. So, when are we going?"

Her mom shook her head in amusement upon hearing the excited tone in her daughter's voice. "I guess we can leave after finishing breakfast, honey. You sound strangely eager."

Percy grinned cheekily at her. "I just like spending time with my mother, what's so wrong about that?"

She was a girl. She liked shopping, clothes, makeup, and shoes. When she was younger, around thirteen or fourteen, she didn't understand what other girls found so super exciting about fashion, but as she got older she developed the same liking for those things. A big part of that had been influenced by Silena Beauregard, her former friend. Silena had introduced her to the world of fashion, showing her the art of applying makeup the right way, of dressing to accentuate her body shape.

Exhaling deeply, Percy rubbed her chest, trying to lessen the sudden pain. Yes, Silena had been a good friend of her and her betrayal had stung hard. But in the end, Percy had forgiven her. She had forgiven Luke and Ethan and all the other demigods, because she _did_ understand their motives.

Her mother's voice was what distracted her from her depressing thoughts, bringing her back to reality. Percy finished her breakfast quickly, placing the dirty dishes into the sink before she went back to her room.

As she stood in front of her wardrobe, pondering about what to wear, her mind went back to thinking about a certain God with golden hair and golden eyes. She wondered subconsciously what he was doing right now. Riding in his sun chariot maybe. Or doing other business on Olympus. Perhaps he was even in the company of a woman and … her lips curled in distaste. Just thinking about Apollo with other women made Percy sick, her chest stinging in ugly pain. Knowing that she was about to enter dangerous thoughts, she shook her head, trying to clear her mind from him, and his cocky smirk, and those smoldering eyes of his.

Finally, she was dressed in light skinny jeans, a pastel-colored top with spaghetti straps, and comfortable, black boots. She wouldn't get cold considering the fact that it was fairly warm outside. After applying mascara and sweeping some lip gloss over her lips, Percy scanned herself quickly in the mirror hanging above her desk that sometimes also worked as a part-time vanity table.

She had good hair. Right now, it was falling in its natural loose curls and soft waves over her back. Even the daughters of Aphrodite said they wished they had her hair and their hair was amazing. Percy also had a lot of it. It was thick and long, past her bra strap at the back, and it was shiny even when she didn't use those shine-inducing products. A deep, rich, glossy dark color that was something between dark-brown and black with some hues of auburn and golden-browns that only appeared when the sun hit her hair the right way.

She had also lucked out in the skin department. When she was younger, around that time of month, she might get a blemish or two but this stopped when she had turned seventeen. Her skin was creamy and pale in a smooth way, though she could tan relatively easy in the summer. She had a petite nose that was well set in her face along with plump, pink lips the shape of petals. Her eyes, an exotic mix of oceanic blue and sea green with a thin dark ring at the edge of the iris, were the most prominent feature on her face, and along with her thick, long lashes and her dark, delicately arched brows she had to admit that they were quite striking. And even though she was small and petite, her body had developed quite well over the time. Years of training at Camp left her toned and firm but she had still managed to maintain her womanly softness. Her breasts were not overly large and not too small, filling a B-cup quite decently. She had a tiny waist leading into shapely hips, a pert ass, and lean, slender legs. All the candy Percy ate on the regular usually set down on her thighs and her butt but she didn't really have a problem with that as it filled out both of those body parts quite nicely. She had some stretch marks on the inside of her thighs that wouldn't go away, no matter how much she exercised at Camp, and she couldn't decide whether she liked the moles dusting along her chest or not.

Her looks was something she thanked her parents for seeing as they had given her the good genes. After all, her mother was a beautiful woman and her father was … well, he was a Greek God; that pretty much said it all.

Other than that, looking at her reflection and knowing it by heart in her mind's eyes, she was beginning to see herself differently as she became aware that this was what Apollo saw.

But … did he like it?

Percy wasn't ignorant to things, she knew that a beautiful woman was a great weakness of the Gods, but did Apollo think of her in those terms? She sometimes noticed that men were ogling her, at times some of them felt so daring that they cat-called at her, though usually Percy ignored it. She didn't want to know what was in their minds when they did that, but now she wondered … she wanted to know what Apollo was seeing when he looked at her.

Hearing her mother call her name, Percy turned her back on her reflection, dismissing her thoughts, and walked out of her bedroom as she threw on a droopy, loose-woven black cardigan. She saw her mother waiting for her at the door, wearing black pants and a light green blouse, her brown hair pulled back into a tight knot.

If there was someone Percy really admired, then it was her mother. Her mom had been her hero since her childhood. She had raised Percy all on her own, making sure that she got into a decent school, and grew up to become a confident, independent woman.

Even though they never had much money, never being able to afford something big and luxurious, Percy had never had the feeling that something was missing in her childhood. Friends at school, maybe. A father figure, most definitely. But Sally Jackson had proved that a woman didn't need a man to be happy. She took care of herself. She was on her feet a lot, so she got exercise, and she'd always taken care of her skin. She ate a helluva lot better than Percy. She gave a shit about how she looked, took care of her hair, dressed good. She had spent almost all her life waitressing, but she was good at that, even though she always wanted to be a writer. She was currently working on her first book, and Percy knew that if someone had success in the writing world, it would be her mom.

"You ready, honey?" Sally raised her brows.

Percy grabbed her purse and tucked her shades into the collar of her top before grinning at her mom. "All ready and set now, mother."

They took a cab to get to the city. As they maundered along the Fifth Avenue, admiring all the pretty Designer boutiques and tall buildings, Percy enjoyed just being with her mother, feeling the warm sun on her skin and seeing all the wild traffic of her hometown. It felt good to see New York so alive and full of people. She had never appreciated the loudness and the blinking lights of the city, but after the Battle of Manhattan, when everything had been asleep and eerily quiet, she learned to do just that.

As they went past the Designer stores, they didn't enter one of them even once. They just couldn't afford that. Percy always purchased her clothes from designer second-hand shops or outlet stores. Nothing she possessed was overly expensive or even labeled, and her makeup was drugstore, Walmart, or Target purchased. And she was fine with that. She chose selectively, liked what she chose and they suited her.

When they entered a small store located at the street corner, they were almost immediately greeted with sparkling colors and, especially, glitter. Glitter was almost everywhere. But it just fit the store, didn't seem weird or oddly out of place. There were almost no visitors at all, just two teenage girls still in their school uniform, trying on some strappy heels. As soon as the door closed behind them, Percy and her mom stepping further into the store, a short woman rushed out of the storage room at the back of the store. Her face lighted up upon seeing the two of them.

"Sally!" She called out in a cheery voice. "Percy! Wonderful to see you again, wonderful."

Percy smiled at her. "Hi, Maggie."

Maggie Cunningham was the store's owner and she was also a good friend of her mother. They had gone to the same school together and, as far as Percy knew, she was the only one of her old friends her mother still had contact to. The store sold mostly second-hand clothes, shoes, and accessories, but most of them were of really good quality and material. No silk or satin, of course, but still good. As Maggie engaged her mom in conversation, Percy looked around the room, her fingers absently stroking over the various clothes.

As she piled up some clothes onto her arm, wanting to, at least, try them on, her neck started to prickle as though she was being watched. She furrowed her brow in confusion as she let her gaze drift around the store, finally stopping at the two girls who were eyeing her like she was some fresh piece of meat. Percy's stomach tightened in anticipation, her heart starting to thunder inside her chest.

 _Monsters._

She saw that immediately. Empousi, to be exact.

As she threw a quick glance at her mother, Percy saw that she hadn't noticed yet, seemingly too engrossed in conversation with her old friend.

Percy gave the monsters in disguise a bright smile while carefully putting the clothes onto a chair next to her as she started toward the storage room, pretending to be deeply fascinated by the clothes. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed with satisfaction that the girls begun to follow her. She pressed the palm of her left hand against the pocket of her jeans, ensuring that she had Riptide with her. As soon as she entered the storage room, she threw a quick glance over her shoulder, seeing that the monsters were close on her heels. Though, she was still able to see her mother and Maggie, so she went further into the room until she was sure that they wouldn't see what she was about to do.

"Sorry," she said with a confused furrow of her brow as she turned around to the Empousi who had started hissing quietly at her. "Is there a problem or something? Or why are following me?"

"You're one of them," the empousa with blonde, long hair hissed. "You're a godling."

"I suppose I am." Percy sighed, fishing out the pen from the pocket of her jeans, twirling it casually around her fingers as she eyed the monsters carefully. Empousi were creatures she probably would have problems to defeat if she was fourteen again, inexperienced and naïve, but after the things she had seen and send to Tartarus those two in front of her were something she was able to wipe out in mere seconds. Four years of training, experience, and knowledge had left their mark. "You really wanna do this _now_ , girls? Right here, in the middle of the day?"

The Empousi stared at her in confusion, surprised that she didn't show any sign of fear like all the previous godlings they had feast upon.

"Listen," Percy continued with a sigh. "I came here to buy some new clothes and spend time with my mom. I'd let you two run if I knew that you'd harm no other people, but we know that's not the case with you. So why don't you just attack me, so I can turn you to dust and continue with my shopping?"

After saying this, Percy uncapped her pen, causing it to transform into her long sword of Celestial Bronze. The Empousi hissed loudly, taking a few steps back as the light gleaming on the sharp blade reflected in their eyes. As the first one flung herself at her with a lethal hiss, Percy swiveled her sword above her head, her body reacting instantly, before she brought the blade down, beheading the monster successfully. It immediately exploded into yellow dust.

Percy lowered her sword, staring silently at the other Empousa who in turn stared at her in uncertainty.

The demi-goddess in front of her was older and more experienced than the godlings she and her sister usually found on the streets of New York. As the monster took a step back, it asked, "Who are you?"

Percy raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You don't know who I am?"

The Empousa shook her head, causing Percy to furrow her brow. That was a new one. Most times, monsters sought her out because they wanted to crown themselves with the fact that they had managed to kill Poseidon's daughter, but they never succeeded in that. At other times, those bastards simply attacked her because she smelled like the most delicious food to them that they had ever laid eyes on. But they always knew who she was. They always knew whose daughter she was, always knew about her part in the war against the Titans.

Before Percy had time to say or do something, the Empousa hissed loudly, narrowing her eyes before preparing herself to attack. However, she never got the chance to do so, because Percy saw it already coming and sliced the sword through her chest, making the monster dissolve into mere dust.

"I'm Percy Jackson," she said with a quiet sigh. "Daughter of Poseidon."

She re-transformed Riptide back into its pen-form before brushing the dust from her jeans and leaving the storage room. Picking up the pile of clothes she had set aside earlier, she walked over to her mother and Maggie who both turned to her as soon as they heard her coming closer.

"Oh, where did the two girls go?" Maggie asked as she looked around in confusion.

Percy shrugged, giving her mom a slight nod upon seeing her skeptical look. "They left a while ago. You two were just too busy talking to notice it."

"That's a shame. I thought they'd buy those shoes over there, but well, nevermind." She smiled broadly at Percy. "Did you find something, my dear?"

"Uh-huh." Percy indicated at the pile of clothes in her arms. "I think I'll try these on."

.

.

.

The moment Apollo appeared in his temple on Olympus, he immediately wanted to disappear again. His sister, all clad in her silver and forest green hunter clothes, was sitting on the large couch, clearly waiting for him. Her auburn hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her childlike face was as serious and cold as usual.

"Artemis!" He called out cheerfully. "To what do I owe the pleasure of my little sister visiting me?"

She shot daggers at him with her eyes while gritting her teeth. "Do not call me that, Apollo! We both know that I'm older than you."

"Yeah, well, but where's the fun in that?" Apollo rolled his eyes in amusement as he went over to the table, pouring himself some nectar into a golden goblet.

As he leaned against the table's edge, savoring the taste of the nectar and waiting for his sister to start talking about why she was here, he let his gaze wander across the room. It was what could be called a living room, although there were no electrical devices of some sort. The room was huge, with high ceilings and tall windows, the floor consisting of shiny marble. Golden pillars adorned the room, along with a huge couch made of golden leather that had a large fur rug in front of it, a fireplace consisting of white stone and stainless steel, and a big round table where he had all his recent paintings and his brushes and pencils placed.

Artemis lowered her gaze before she exhaled loudly to calm herself. "I came here, Apollo, to ask how visiting our mother went. How is she?"

As soon as the question was spoken aloud, Apollo faltered in his doings, his eyes hardening. He clenched his jaw. "Why, Artemis, don't you ask mother yourself? See for yourself how she is?"

"I don't have time for that, brother!" Artemis protested sharply. "I'm too –"

"You're what?" Apollo raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You're too fucking busy? But still got enough fucking time to come here and ask _me_ how she is? Well, Artemis, let me tell you that – you haven't visited her for about ten years, and each time I have to come up with an excuse for you, so mother won't be too disappointed. If you're clearly so worried about her, you'd get your ass to Delos and speak to her."

He knew that she got his innuendo seeing as how her eyes widened in anger. "What the Tartarus, Apollo? Are you trying to say that I don't care about her?"

"I'm not tryin' to say fuckin' anything, sister." Apollo's eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm just sayin' that's what our mother probably thinks."

He had always known that the relationship between his mother and his sister was strained, but most of the times Apollo tried not to get himself too involved in that. He didn't want to put more strain on it, but right now his sister was really pushing it, though he knew that she wouldn't listen to him and visit Leto. She was too proud, a trait they both shared, but sometimes she was even more so than him.

"I see." Artemis snorted angrily, glaring at him with cold silvery eyes. "Me visiting you was in vain."

Apollo narrowed his eyes at his sister as she got to her feet, giving him one last angry look before disappearing in a blinding, silver light. Putting the goblet down loudly, Apollo ran a hand through his hair and walked toward the table where all his paintings were. The anger was still lingering inside him, even as he started humming a soft melody because music always managed to calm him, but then his eyes fell to a parchment sheet that had a beautiful, familiar face sketched on it. Apollo knew that he had drawn it a few years ago, after his first encounter with her.

He stared at the drawing for a while before he gently put it down. Not knowing why, he closed his eyes, concentrating on her essence as he disappeared as well, leaving his temple all empty and deserted.

.

.

.

"Okay, here we are," Percy sighed loudly as she placed the grocery bags on the kitchen table. Her mother came behind her, her arms occupied with bags as well which she placed beside the other ones. After having left the clothing store, they had done some grocery shopping at the small supermarket not far away from where they lived. Percy now had some new sweaters and tops, two pairs of jeans, and a new dress. Honestly, she didn't know why exactly she had bought that dress. It wasn't something she could go around _just so_ but she looked good on it, and after her mother had convinced her to buy it, she did.

Sitting down with a satisfied smile on her lips, Percy took off the shades she had pushed up to her hair earlier, putting them down on the table. "Well, that's what I call successful shopping." She grinned at her mom who was busy filling two glasses with water. Her eyes wandered to the bag that had the new dress in it. "Though, I still don't know what to do with the dress."

"Just put it somewhere into your wardrobe," Sally said with a laugh, passing her daughter the water. "You never know when such a dress could become useful, believe me, honey."

"I guess, you're right," Percy sighed, downing the water in one go before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She took her cardigan off, putting it over the back of the chair before getting to her feet. "But nevermind, let's just sort this stuff here out." She started doing so, passing her mother the groceries, so that she could put them into the refrigerator. "And after that we can maybe watch a movie or something. How's that sound, mom?"

"Sounds good to me, honey," Sally laughed as she opened the door of the cupboards, momentarily freezing upon seeing that they had forgotten something. "Oh no."

Percy raised her head in alarm, her gaze becoming worried. "What is it?"

"We forgot to buy bread, honey."

"Oh," Percy said with a frown, pausing in her doings. "Well, I can go to the bakeshop and get some of it if you want me to. It's no problem at all."

"No, it's okay, Percy." Her mother shook her head with a smile while grabbing the keys. "I'll do it myself, you just sort the groceries."

After her mother had left, Percy grabbed her bags and went to her room where she put her new clothes into the wardrobe, folding them neatly while doing so. When she got to the dress, she stopped briefly, just staring at it for a moment. She let her fingers run along the soft material before she stepped in front of the mirror, holding the dress to her body. It was short and backless, stopping mid-thigh, with long lace sleeves; the whole dress was a strangely beautiful blend of white and light blue, the color no doubt contrasting uniquely against her pale skin and dark hair. It was adorned with small, sparkling stones all over it and had a faint _Ice Queen_ touch to it.

Turning away, Percy put the dress into her wardrobe before she went back into the kitchen, continuing with sorting away the groceries. Just as she finished the first bag, the door-bell ringed. Furrowing her brow, she went toward the door, expecting it to be her mom but as she opened it she had to restrain herself from dropping her jaw in surprise.

"Hello, Percy," Apollo said, smiling slightly upon seeing her surprised expression.

"Uh … hi, Lord Apollo." She blinked at him, not really trusting her eyes, because that couldn't be really Apollo before her, could it? Her body seemed to recognize him in an instant, though, as it started to go haywire – her heart practically flying, her stomach tightening with nervousness, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment as she realized how she must look, all dumbfounded and perplexed.

His smile became even broader. "Don't you want to invite me in, sweetheart?"

"Uh, yeah … sure, come in," she said in nervousness, wiping her sweating hands on her jeans as she stepped aside to let him in. She caught a whiff of his delicious cologne and had to hold on to the door handle to keep herself standing straight. Closing the door after him, Percy led him into the kitchen, more than aware of his intense gaze resting on her.

She threw a quick glance at him over her shoulder, noticing that his eyes snapped up immediately as she did so. Her heart pounded hard. _Had she just caught him looking at her ass?_

Gods, she needed to find her wits again.

"Do you want something to drink, Lord Apollo? Though, I have to tell you that we only have water," she asked, proud of herself that she'd found her voice again. She watched from the corner of her eyes as he leaned against the table, right in front of the grocery bags.

 _Oh, damn, the groceries. Mom's going to kill me if I don't finish it._

"Nah, I'm fine, sweetheart," Apollo smiled, giving her a once-over that had her cheeks turning even redder. "But you've got to finally drop the _Lord-_ thing. Just call me Apollo."

He had to hide his smirk upon seeing her eyes widen as she brought her hand up to pull a strand of hair behind her ear. Apollo had never seen her with her hair loose, and _shit on a stick_ , she looked breathtaking. He had to fight the overwhelming urge to just dig his hands into her curls, to test the weight of them and whether it really was as soft as it looked. His eyes dropped down further, eyeing the pastel-colored top with thin straps that left her shoulders, throat, and collarbones bare, her creamy skin harmonizing beautifully with the soft color. The jeans she was wearing was formfitting, hugging her curves deliciously.

 _Fuck._

Apollo crossed his arms in front of his chest to keep himself from running his hands over the curve of her hips and the tantalizing swell of her ass.

 _Damn, the girl could really rock a pair of jeans._

"So, uh … Apollo, how come that you're here?" Percy asked, her eyes dropping to the floor.

She'd said his name before but now, without the _Lord_ coming before it, it felt somehow more intimate, rolling easily off her tongue, flooding her damn panties with moisture.

Just seeing him leaning casually against the table, looking all cool, arrogant, and handsome was making her weak not only in her knees but her entire body. He was dressed in a tight white Henley shirt, faded jeans, and black boots. His Aviator shades were tucked into the collar of his shirt, his powerful arms folded in front of his chest. His long legs were crossed at the ankles, and his large body wasn't suited for a kitchen that small.

He was breathtaking, there was no denying that.

"Honestly?" He said with a small frown on his chiseled face. "I don't have a fucking clue."

Actually, he did. The anger he had felt from his argument with Artemis had subsided slightly when he saw that picture he had drawn of Percy. Something about her just always seemed to calm him, and in that moment he'd wanted to have that calmness once again. And standing in front of her now, staring at her beautiful, confused face, he felt his anger lessen even more, his smile starting to become a little more honest. Hearing his name falling of sweetly from the tip of her tongue set his chest ablaze with desire, but staring into her mesmerizing eyes just … it soothed him.

"Oh," Percy said with an adorable frown on her beautiful features as she lifted her gaze back to Apollo. His golden, golden eyes stared at her with an unreadable expression as the air between them became thinner. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead he remained silent, seemingly waiting for something. She had the strange thought that he would wait forever.

Apollo wanted to say something, he really did, however, he found himself tongue-tied.

It was ridiculous.

He always knew what to say when he was with a woman but with Percy it was hard to find something coherent in his mind to say. One part of him wanted to bend her over the table and fuck her from behind so hard they both wouldn't be able to think straight, but another part wanted to sit down with her and unbury all her secrets. He watched as she averted his gaze from him as though she was feeling uncomfortable with the situation, but instead she stepped toward him. He had the strange thought that she wanted to come even closer.

"Uh, could you maybe step aside?" She asked with a small smile, wringing her hands nervously as she awaited his reaction. "I just need to sort out the groceries before my mom comes home, and you're … well, you're kinda standing right in front of the bags, Apollo."

 _She just couldn't get enough of saying his name._

"Sure," he replied softly, taking a step to the left. She now could reach the bags, but he was still standing so close to them that she couldn't avoid brushing her arm against his. The contact had both her and Apollo catching their breath, and while she continued her previous doing, he just watched her move around the kitchen, her long, dark hair cascading down her back in soft waves.

He cleared his throat, catching her attention. "So, Percy, how's it going being the Oracle? Recited any prophecies lately?"

"No, I didn't," she said with a small grin that had his own fighting to come forward. "And it's going fine. I mean, I don't feel any different, so … that's good, right?"

Apollo nodded, his eyes following each of her movements. As she gave him a little smile, he couldn't help but stare at her plump lips, imagining how they would feel against his own. "Yeah, that's good, sweetheart."

As Percy went on taking the groceries out of the back, she sensed that something was off. Well, he was still Apollo, but she noticed that he wasn't his usual good-natured, cheerful self that always had to say something. "What is it?" She asked softly after a while of silence. It was weird that, when being with him, silence didn't feel uncomfortable.

"What?" His eyes snapped to hers, drinking in the soft expression she was staring at him with; seeing her look at him that way bathed Apollo's soul with warmth, his own eyes becoming gentle.

"I don't know," Percy said as she tilted her head to the side. "Something just seems off. You're not really in a good mood, are you?"

He wanted to ask _how_. How she managed to pull those feelings from his body. How she managed to make him so completely unguarded and at a loss of what to do with her. "It's nothing, sweetheart," he smiled. "I just had a small fight with my sister, that's all. 's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, okay." The frown on her beautiful face smoothed out, and she put the last groceries away before setting the bags aside. "If you want to … you know." Her cheeks started to burn as she fiddled with the hem of her top, not even knowing why she was telling him that in the first place. It was none of her business, after all. "If you wanna talk about it or something, then just … I mean, I'm a good listener."

As Apollo processed her words in his mind, he felt his lungs gave a squeeze. He'd never had someone offer him that kind of comfort. Comfort that was good, and genuine, and well-meant. She smiled at him with one corner of her mouth lifted and he knew, once again, that he was in trouble. He gave her a mere nod, showing her that he had understood, that he _did_ appreciate it. Deep down, he was fucking astounded that she apparently cared enough to offer him a friendly ear. He had been with a lot of women – and men – but none of them had ever cared about him in such a simple sympathetic way.

Watching Percy stand on her tiptoes, reaching for a glass on the shelves while giving him an amazing view of her backside, Apollo suddenly knew just what he wanted to say. "I guess I just wanted to see you again, sweetheart," he muttured, lost in thoughts as he eyed her pale back and her delicate shoulder blades.

She faltered in her movements, her breath hitching for a second. He couldn't see her smile but he heard it in her voice as she asked, "Really?"

"Yeah." Apollo's own smile appeared on his face. "Really."

With her heart pounding like drums, Percy drained the glass she'd filled with water, still smiling, before putting it down into the sink. Turning around, she saw that Apollo had stepped away from his place at the table, running a hand through his tousled hair that she, just once, wanted to bury her fingers in, letting them glide through the thick golden strands. His strong biceps flexed as he lowered his arm and Percy had to brace her hands against the kitchen counter behind her to keep herself from falling. Her knees felt too fucking weak.

"Your mother's probably going to come back soon," he stated, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. With his come-and-get-me dimples flashing, he smiled at her and tilted his head to one side, giving her a delicious view on his square, perfectly cut jaw. Those strong, chiseled facial features of his were made of stone and hard edges, Percy was pretty sure of that. "I'd better get going."

 _Don't. Please stay._

She smiled mildly, "Yeah, you probably should."

But neither of them moved.

As they continued to simply look at each other, Percy was once again reminded of the pull to him, the connection that existed between them. It was just … something about Apollo – his charisma, his magnetism, his mettle – that drew her. Sparked her intrigue; made her want to get closer to the fire, to feel the burn. Because she knew, without the shadow of a doubt in her mind, that he could make her burn in a way she wouldn't ever be able to erase from neither her skin nor her heart. He wasn't the Sun God for nothing.

"We going to keep standing here?" She joked with a small, embarrassed laugh.

"I don't know," Apollo chuckled softly. "Are we?"

Instead of answering, Percy's smile just became broader as she tilted her head toward the door, indicating that she would walk with him to it. Just as he was about to leave, Percy pulled her lower lip in between her teeth, having no idea what'd gotten into her as she said, "Hey, Apollo."

He turned around, looking at her quizzically. "Yeah?"

"If you, uh, wanna …" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, rocking back and forth on her heels in embarrassment. "If you want to see me again, you can. That'd be fine by me." She turned around for a brief moment to take a pen and a sheet of paper from the little side table next to the door. "So, do you maybe have a phone?"

Apollo simply stared at her for a while before his lips curled into dashing smile, showing his perfect teeth as he fetched a sleek, black smartphone from the pocket of his jeans. "I actually do. Not all of us Gods are stuck in the old times, ya know. Some of us like to keep up with the newest technology you mortals come up with."

Percy breathed a sigh of relief before she scribbled down some numbers on the sheet of paper, then handing it to Apollo who stared at it with raised eyebrows. "It's my phone number," she started babbling nervously. "I thought that … I don't know … I think it'd good if we can reach each other easily. Just in case some creepy oracle-y stuff happens to me. And, gods, it's a stupid idea, isn't it?"

"It's not," Apollo said with a chuckle as he took her number, seeing it scribbled down messily on the small sheet of paper. He felt stunned, if not deeply surprised, by that sudden action but damn if he wasn't happy about it. "It's actually very thoughtful of you." He stared down at the number with a grin appearing on his face. "I'll definitely keep that in mind, green eyes."

"Green eyes?" Percy furrowed her brow in confusion, yet feeling beyond relieved that she hadn't made a fool of herself in front of her. She'd never been that forward with a guy, but she knew that with Apollo there wouldn't be a lot of second chances and opportunities.

"Well," he said softly, his gaze falling briefly to the pucker in the center of her upper lip. He wanted to kiss that pucker, suck on it. Then he lifted his eyes back to hers. "Your eyes are green, aren't they? They've got blue in 'em as well, but the green stands out a little bit more. So you're _green eyes_ to me."

Percy smiled softly. She'd had nothing against him calling her _sweetheart,_ she never did, but she had to admit that she liked hearing him call her _green eyes._ She liked it a lot. And she also couldn't deny that she liked the fact that he obviously paid special attention to her eyes.

"See you eventually, Apollo," she said with a lopsided smile, leaning against the door frame.

He winked at her. "See ya eventually, green eyes."

With one last look at him, she finally closed the door, knowing that he'd disappear in his usual blinding golden light that always left the surroundings feeling warm and light. Sighing, she leaned against the door, her palms pressed flat against the solid wood. Percy was still able to feel him ghosting all around her, his powerful presence, and his aura. She knew that she shouldn't be feeling all those things for him, because for Olympus's sake, he was a freaking Olympian, the Sun God, and the two of them weren't supposed to be involved in some way.

But good gods, she had never felt this before. Never felt this overwhelming lust, this consuming level of attraction … that raw and insatiable need to be with a man. It was dangerous. It was haunting. It shouldn't be. And although it was so wrong, it felt so perfectly right.

.

.

.

When Apollo left her apartment, he practically flew the stairs down. He was very aware of the fact that he was probably grinning like some damn junkie on drugs but he just couldn't fucking help it. The anger he'd felt a while ago had disappeared, instead leaving him with some sort of ecstasy coursing through his ichor. Percy just had that effect on him and he wasn't minding that at all. Seeing her for only a short time had calmed him, but his need was even bigger now, because every encounter with her left him wanting more, needing more.

She was all fire, and sass, and a touch of insanity, he was pretty sure. But she did something to him, made him see the world again.

As he opened the door leading outside, he almost collided with a middle-aged woman who also had been about to open the door. The lady was dressed in black pants and a green blouse, and she had light brown hair. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you," she apologized but Apollo stopped her with a wave of her hand.

"No need for that, ma'am," he called out exuberantly, positioning his shades on his face, and brushed past her, his legs bringing him toward the dark-red Maserati sports car he'd let appear with his mind's power a few minutes ago. The car looked to be oddly misplaced in such a foul neighborhood, and the passing people stared at it with widened eyes.

The woman he'd almost crashed into followed him with her eyes, seeming to be a little dumbfounded.

Getting into his car, he looked at the number Percy had given him before he took out his phone, saving her under _green eyes._ Then he took off, the engine of his car purring to life as he drove toward the main street, toward the club that belong to him and his brothers. Upon arriving there, Apollo let the staff take care of his car, knowing they would park it into the garage that stored all his other cars. He'd had dozens of them - Bugattis, Mercedes, Aston Martins, a few Range Rovers, and many more.

Strolling toward the elevators, he took his shades off, tucking them into his collar. As soon as he arrived at the main floor of the building – where the club was located – he saw Ares and Hermes sitting at the bar. Hermes was flirting with the Muse that worked behind the bar this day, Ares had placed his feet on the counter while playing with one of his knives. It was still too early for the club to be crammed with people.

"What's up, you lazy fuckers?" Apollo's voice boomed through the room. "You got no business to do or what?"

 _Good day, Lord Apollo,_ Martha and George, Hermes's snakes, hissed.

Said god send him a dark look. "I actually got business." He nodded toward the mails he was sorting through on the counter before him.

"What's up with _you_?" Ares replied with a snort. "What's got you grinning so big, sunny boy?"

"Well," Apollo answered with a snicker as he sat down next do his brothers, "A girl gave me her number. What's not to be happy about that?"

Hermes raised an eyebrow at him. "And you took it?"

When Apollo answered with a nod, Ares lowered his knife to stare at him. "Geez," he muttured, "That pussy been good, eh?"

"I wouldn't know," Apollo replied stiffly, restraining himself from leashing out at the War God. Hearing him call Percy that way stirred his anger, demanding his temper to come out, and he didn't care that his brother didn't know it was Percy they were talking about. "Didn't have her yet."

This time, not only Ares looked at him strangely but Hermes as well. The both of them exchanged weird looks before turning back to Apollo who raised his hand, running it through his hair.

"You sick, bro?" Ares asked with a deep frown, stretching his hand out to put it on Apollo's forehead. The Sun God slapped it away with an angry snort. "You got a fever or something?"

Hermes was also staring at him with weird fascination. "Seriously, you're telling us that you didn't tap that girl whose number you've taken? What's gotten into you, Apollo?"

"Nothing's gotten into me," Apollo said with a disgruntled groan as he got to his feet, slapping his brothers across their heads. "And besides, you fuckers, it's none of your damn business if I'm keeping my dick in my pants or not."

As he made his way toward the elevators to get to his apartment, he heard Ares mumbling to Hermes, "I'm telling ya, bro, he's gone fucking mad."

Apollo rolled his eyes, leaning against the elevator walls as he took out his phone. The doors glided closed while he stared silently at the mobile's screen. He didn't know why but he went to his contact list, ignoring all the names of his connections in the mortal – and also godly – world before pausing at _green eyes._ Hesitation lasted only a few seconds before his fingers started moving, typing the words he hadn't been able to speak out in her kitchen.

 _Thanks for your offer. You know … the one you made regarding me talking to you if something's off._

The elevator doors opened with a quiet _pling._ As Apollo made his way toward the circular stairs leading to his bedroom, his phone vibrated in his hand, telling him he'd gotten a new message. When he looked down, reading the words Percy had send him, it felt as though all the air left his lungs.

 _That goes without saying._


End file.
